


The Remembrance Project

by skys



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angelic Possession, Angels - Freeform, Catholic Mythology - Freeform, Death - Freeform (extreme), Demonic Possession, Demons - Freeform, Fantasy, Ghost Influence, Ghosts, God - Freeform, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Historical Fantasy, Multi, Prospit and Derse - Freeform, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 01:13:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3468905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skys/pseuds/skys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Supernatural things don't exist. They're all just fables; stuff you find in books and shitty movies. Dave knows this. Hell, he even grew up on it. Crap like that? It's just not real.</p><p>So when Dave's long dead brother shows up in his bedroom?</p><p>There are a few complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Marie Antoinette

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a co-written work by AO3 user Skys and tumblr user theravenhaven! Thanks to both of them for their hard work and dedication towards this project. 
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask

The sun was filtering through the window when the young man woke in his room, eyes heavy and mind fuzzy from sleep. His arms felt like dead weight as he quietly shoved his covers off his warm body, stretching a bit just to crack a few bones, which protested loudly.

He yawned - long and proud - before finally rising from his bed, shuffling towards his dresser awkwardly. With a leisurely pace, the man grabbed a large pair of aviator shades and slipped them clumsily over his face, fighting back another urge to yawn as he went for the comb. This time his actions were more precise, and it wasn't long before he looked at least presentable. 

Scratch that.

Looking down, the man was reminded that he was in nothing but a large red t-shirt and his boxers. Groaning inwardly, he swung around and dramatically ducked down, grasping the jeans that he had unceremoniously left on the carpet the day before and slipping into them. Finally, he shuffled to the door and swung it open, walking down the long hall which was lit up from the now blinding sunlight.

The blonde entered a living room. Although it was small, it was quite homely, and he felt rather at peace as he breathed in the familiar scents of leftover pizza and coffee. Wait, coffee?

The man turned his head towards the kitchen, where there stood yet another boy, his hair a mess and his clothes barely clinging to his skinny body. He wore a large blue sweater and jeans that seemed a bit too big for him, and his eyes were cloaked by large glasses. The blonde made his way to the counter, leaning forwards and watching silently as the raven-haired man poured a strong looking cup of coffee, before turning around and nearly hopping back in surprise.

"Dave!" the geek yelped. "I didn't know you were awake!"

Dave laughed a bit and shrugged, nodding to the coffee in the other's hand. 

"I'm hoping that you made one for me too, Johnny? Wouldn't want the best man in the house to dehydrate, now would we?" he gestured to himself, winking teasingly.

John scowled, but nodded towards an empty cup in the corner of the kitchen, which Dave was quickly scooping up and eagerly as he turned to the already made brew. 

"You know," began John, raising an eyebrow as Dave happily poured the drink. "caffeine is supposed to make you even more thirsty than when you initially drink it."

The Strider didn't pause as he continued pouring, before pulling back for just a moment to look at his roommate with a smirk. 

"And where did you read this?" Dave asked, well aware of the biology student's habits of getting completely random facts off of the internet in his spare time. 

John bit his lip, humming and making his way towards the couch, where he took his usual seat at the left end. "Wikipedia!" he returned as Dave looked back to his coffee, reaching for the unused cream John had set out for him and dropping a little in.

"Oh, nice." Dave chuckled. "The website that can be edited by literally fucking _anyone_."

John made a scoffing sound from the living room but was silent until Dave turned, making his way to the other end of the couch and taking his place, nodding over to the remote. John eagerly moved forwards - it was rare that the Strider ever relented in their constant battle over what channel to watch - and flicked the TV on, changing it from the news to some kind of weird-ass television show that Dave was quickly letting become background noise.

"You have a good sleep?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back against the couch.

John bit shrugged idly. "Jade called at like five in the morning, but I got back to bed pretty quick."

Dave furrowed his eyebrows. Jade was John's cousin and one of Dave's best friends. She had only recently left on a huge vacation with her brother, Jake, and they hadn't heard much from her since. Occasionally they would receive the on-and-off email, text, or phone call, but each time the talk was quite short as she always claimed to be very busy. 

"And?" Dave prompted. "Don't leave me hangin', Egbert. What'd she say?"

John sighed, seemingly exasperated by his own cousin's antics. "Nothing. She just wanted to check in. Apparently she's across the country and thought that it was the middle of the day where we are."

Dave rolled his eyes. "No info on the sight seeing? She didn't say anything about her trip _at all_?"

John shook his head, glancing over to Dave forlornly. "It was the same as always. She wanted to see if we were okay and then she had to go."

There was a silence that drifted between the two roommates as they went over this in their heads. Dave knew that Jade would be occupied - what with taking pictures and questioning the locals like a real tourist should - but did she really have to be so upfront about not talking to them? He couldn't handle just hearing from her in an email every once and while, where she described how insanely sorry she was for not talking to them more. He couldn't handle the random phone calls where she 'checked in on them'. And he definitely couldn't handle her waking John up in the middle of the night just to tear up the Egbert's hopes of hearing from her.

"So, what?" Dave spat, seething as he sipped from his coffee. "She's made it her new career to cock-block any information about her life from us as much as possible?"

John laughed a bit. "I don't know, man. She's become Missus Mysterio."

Dave glared and his friend and continued the boil in his thoughts, angrily placing his half-drunk cup on the living room table and reaching into his pocket. 

"I'm calling her." he announced, just as John's eyes widened.

"Dude, what if it's like midnight or something where she is? Or if she's in a restaurant that strictly forbids cellphone usage?"

Dave scoffed. "She didn't care about calling you at fuck-ass o'clock this morning. I think she'll be fine."

With this, he brought his phone up and found Jade's name, dialing her number in and waiting as John sat beside him, biting his lip and rocking anxiously. 

There was a ring. Then two. Then three, until Dave stopped counting and began heating up again. You had to be fucking kidding him. No answer? It went to her messaging system and Dave waited until Jade's automated voice finished telling him to wait until the beep, before he angrily brought the phone closer and narrowed his eyes at the little screen.

"Jade." the Strider spat. "It's Dave." he paused, broiling a bit before he growled. "What the Hell, man? You can't just phone up John bright and early after not talking to us for weeks, and then expect to get off by just askin' how we are. Talk to us! Seriously, we're your best friends, Harley. Act like it!" 

Dave seethed for a moment before shutting his phone, shoving it back in his pocket and leaning back against the couch with an angry sigh. John squeaked beside him, seemingly speechless over his abrupt tone, and stayed quiet before the Strider finally turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"I won't bite." he chuckled, calming down as he looked at John leisurely.

"I-I know." John looked away to the large window. "I just..."

Dave felt a bit of guilt sweep inside his gut and brush his chest. Had he scared John?

"You okay, man?" he asked, his voice quieter now and his eyes narrowed behind his shades. 

John shook his head, laughing a bit and breathing out. "I'm fine." he replied, his words a bit sad as he continued. "But... don't you just miss it? You know, the old days?"

The Strider paused as he observed John, before reaching forwards and grabbing the remote to the television and pressing mute. The black haired man watched him quietly and glanced to the television mindlessly as Dave pulled himself back and rested beside John.

"Feelings jam?" Dave opted.

"Feelings jam." John confirmed.

The Strider nodded. "So," he began awkwardly, not really adept in the world of reassurance. "what's wrong?"

The Egbert pursed his lips. "It's just that... I mean, like I said, I miss them. The 'better times' or whatever. I just kinda' want to go back to when we were just kids, y'know?"

"What?" Dave scoffed. "And go back to booger-picking and girl cooties?"

John laughed at that one. "No, dude. Gross." he smirked. "I meant like in High school or something. Just, like, when everything was really easy."

A long silence lapsed between them as Dave went over this. "Easy?" he finally asked. "What d'you mean?"

"Come on, man." said the black haired boy, sighing. "Y'know. When things were just... simple. You, me, Rose, and Jade. We were all just friends and things were cool." John shrugged slightly and looked over to the balcony.

"Are we not friends now?" Dave questioned, not really getting the point of this conversation.

"Oh, we are!" John assured him quickly, sending a little smile his way. "I mean like - well... that message you just sent Jade wasn't exactly the definition of friend _ly_."

Dave breathed out slowly. "Do you want me to call her back and apologize?"

John shook his head. "No, it's fine. I just... I wonder sometimes if she even cares about us anymore. I mean, she calls sometimes, but it's like... I don't know, man. She's confusing."

"This entire thing is confusing." Dave pointed out. "That's kinda' what growing up is, bro. Confusing as shit. And sweaty. It's just gross in general."

"Dave." John held in a bit of a chuckle. "You're weird."

Dave shrugged. "I'm also your roommate." he replied smoothly, unmuting the television as he stood up. "You shoulda' known this was what you signed up for when you chose me."

John laughed.

"I guess I should've."

* * *

It was later in the afternoon when Dave finally actually got out of the apartment. John might've had to forcefully shove him out the door, but the Strider was persistent, and the poor Egbert was nearly late for his job at the local supermarket before Dave finally relented and opted to go for a walk or something.

So there he stood. At the corner of the street, his phone in his hand and his body leaning against the wall of some random ass restaurant, and he watched people walk by idly. He had no idea what to do. John seemed to have wanted him to get some sort of exercise, but who the fuck did that nowadays anyway? Instead, Dave decided to occupy himself with his phone, and opened up the Pesterchum app just to see if anyone was there.

The Strider had to hold in a groan as he noticed that the only person online was his step sister and personal pest, Rose.

And before he could close the client, she had already started pestering him.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT]  began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 16:14 -- 

TT: Hello, brother.   
TG: jesus fuck you make it sound like were in game of thrones or some shit  
TG: please dont tell me that was what you were aiming for  
TT: I was not aiming for anything but the simple pleasure of talking with my step-sibling.  
TT: Is that too much to ask for?  
TG: nah  
TG: its great to hear from you and all  
TG: but i am in the middle of something really important here and i totally cant chat it up with my sis right now  
TT: Oh, really? Then please, share with me what 'important' thing you are doing and I will gladly step down.  
TG: uh  
TG: well  
TG: im  
TG: cleaning johns nicolas cage movie collection  
TG: yup  
TG: need to dust that shit off otherwise he gets hella pouty  
TG: you wouldnt want that now would you rose  
TT: Oh, no, of course I wouldn't.   
TT: But with that being said, I would like to acknowledge my awareness of the fact that he lets you nowhere near his Nic Cage film collection after the time you drew mustaches all over poor Nicolas's face on the covers.   
TG: ok first of all  
TG: that was pranking genius  
TG: second of all  
TG: fuck you  
TT: I can really feel the brotherly affection pouring off of your red text right now.   
TG: yeah well whatever  
TG: listen i was just trying to let you off nicely  
TG: why cant you accept the kind denial of having another shitty conversation from me  
TT: Because we are already in the middle of partaking in a shitty conversation as we speak.   
TG: jesus fucking christ  
TG: what are you some conspiracy theorist  
TT: I am in the case of you, dear sibling.   
TG: stop with the sibling shit by the way its freaking me out  
TG: i would as if youre drunk but arent you just getting over that or something  
TT: Yes. I am a month-and-a-half sober.   
TG: wow  
TG: you actually just earned a genuine congratulations from me  
TG: you should be proud  
TT: Of course I am.   
TT: But being clearheaded for so long was not without it's help. Kanaya assisted me in doing so.  
TG: well give her my thanks will you  
TG: shes a pretty cool chick, even though shes slightly like you  
TG: i should probably talk to her more if shes going to be my step step sister or some shit  
TT: Dave, we haven't even spoken of the notion of marriage. Where did you ever pull that out from?  
TG: your eyes  
TT: Pardon?   
TG: your eyes, dude  
TG: you totally have proposal eyes  
TT: Am I missing something? Since when were there specific eyes for proposing?   
TG: since i thought it up  
TG: copyright dave strider. please dont copy my work without my permission, and dont forget to give credit  
TG: i could sue you  
TT: Ah, yes. You could sue me with your overwhelming amount of cash.   
TG: pizza hut pays well  
TT: Is that where you're working now? I was under the impression you were content with your job at the little old fashioned diner downtown.   
TG: yeah i was until they pulled the plug on the deal  
TG: something about drawing dicks in red permanent marker in the boys bathroom was against the rules  
TT: Shocker.   
TG: i know right what the hell  
TG: anyway is there a reason you decided to pester me or are you just taking up my precious time that i could be using to draw mustaches on nic cage  
TT: Oh, yes. I was just wondering, by any chance, have you at all been called by Jade in the past twenty-four hours or so?   
TG: excuse me  
TG: wait whyre you asking first of all  
TT: I got a message from Roxy telling me that Jake spoke to her. Jade called me early this morning. The two of them, Jade and Jake per say, seem to have contacted everyone in our group of friends simultaneously in the past few hours or so and I was wondering if you were considered a part of that batch.  
TG: you mean if we were considered her friends or not  
TG: rose, john and i spent the entirety of our high school years latched to you chicks by the hip  
TG: is that not proof enough of our undying bond or would you like us to cut our hands and make a blood pact instead  
TT: Not necessary.   
TT: So I'm taking it you did, indeed, receive a call from her or Jake?   
TG: jade called john, yeah  
TG: at five oclock in the fucking morning, but she called  
TT: Right. That's a few minutes before she did so with me.   
TG: so do you know why theyre doing that  
TG: you know, calling everyone at practically the same time  
TT: No. I've tried messaging them both, but have received nothing at all in return from either of them.  
TG: yeah i tried phoning jade this morning but got nothing back  
TG: wait do you think theyre in trouble  
TG: you know, like in the movies where their kidnappers let them have a couple of phone calls just to say goodbye to their friends before they chop their heads off  
TT: Dave, you've been watching too many horror movies.   
TT: I highly doubt that they're in trouble, as they are both trained very well in the art of self-defense.   
TT: Surely you remember the trampoline incident in the summer of 2012?  
TG: oh yeah  
TG: jesus fucking christ wasnt that the time jade almost broke johns spine or some shit  
TT: Apparently you should never tackle-hug her while jumping merrily on a large expanse of rubber.  
TG: yeah  
TG: so i guess youre right theyre probably ok  
TG: so what then they just randomly decided to have a little group chat with everyone they know  
TT: Well, not quite everyone.   
TT: Do you remember Rufioh and Horuss, by any chance?   
TG: yeah why  
TT: They recently moved out of the city together. I asked them, and they didn't get any word from Jake or Jade at all.  
TG: ok  
TG: so theyre only talking to people in seattle  
TG: ...  
TG: why  
TT: Well, I have one theory.  
TG: what is it  
TT: Think, Dave. From what I can tell, they called you and John first, before proceeding on to me, Roxy, Jane, etc.   
TG: doesnt that just mean they were just checking in on us  
TT: Must I spell it out for you?   
TG: depends how hard it is to spell  
TT: I think that they are coming back to Seattle. 

Dave had to pull away at that one. Jade and Jake? Coming home? It seemed impossible to him. Hadn't they said that they wouldn't be returning for - what? - over a year? Dave shook his head quietly and stared at his phone, rereading Rose's words to himself in his head.

Of course he would rejoice. Of course he would be more than happy to accommodate them back into his life. Hell, he even felt a bit of a smile make its way onto him. Yeah. This could be good. This could be _great_. He felt anticipation and excitement swell up in his chest at the thought of his friends - no matter how much ignoring that had taken part of - returning back to their old life. John would be overjoyed. He might even cry, if he was feeling sentimental enough. Dave wondered if he would have to comfort him again. The thought was both pleasing and displeasing, and the Strider shook it out of his head as Rose continued to message him.

TT: What do you think of that?  
TT: Dave?   
TT: ...   
TT: If you walked into traffic while texting I'm bringing pink roses to your grave instead of red ones. The red ones are more expensive and overrated, anyway.   
TG: sorry about that i was just thinking  
TG: what was that about pink roses  
TT: Thinking? That's oddly rare for you. What were you thinking about?   
TG: no hold up youre bringing pink roses to my grave  
TG: what kind of step sibling are you seriously  
TG: im not a frilly princess like in your freaky ass fanfictions, rose  
TG: i require red ones  
TT: We're not having this conversation, Dave. What were you thinking of?   
TG: no wait could you get me those roses that squirt water when people sniff them  
TG: that would be hella sweet of you rose  
TT: Seriously, Dave? Just tell me what your opinion is on if Jade and Jake come back!  
TG: fine  
TG: im excited, ok  
TG: sounds rad  
TG: but are you sure? youre not exactly nancy drew, rose. what if you got this one wrong  
TT: Then I give you full permission to rub it in my face. But until then, I stand by the opinion that they may very well be on the road back to Seattle right now. I would suggest cleaning your apartment, if you can. Is that even physically possible at this point? Or have you surpassed the mere notion of cleanliness?   
TG: yeah im probably past it  
TG: i should probably go and phone john or something and ask him if jade mentioned anything about the city  
TG: you have fun doing whatever it is you do when youre in sherlock holmes mode  
TG: you probably just put on a funny hat and pace around your room dont you  
TT: I also play the violin.   
TT: It helps me think.  
TG: right ok then ms holmes, dr watson has to go attend to his real life now  
TG: give my thanks to kanaya about getting over that drinking thing for me  
TT: Of course. Thank you, Dave.   
TG: yeah whatever  
TG: take care of yourself  
TG: bye  
TT: Goodbye. 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG]  ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 16:39 -- 

Dave sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair as he stared a bit at their conversation, going over it. He spoke with Rose often. It wasn't rare to find the two bickering in their usual tones or debating with one another over the stupidest of things. A bit of a grin crossed Dave's faced. He really did love his step sister. She had been with him through thick and thin. When Bro went missing those three or so years ago, she had practically cradled him, and when the police gave up the search for Dave's brother, she had held him. The two were inseparable beyond compare, even after all these years. It was like they were glued to the hip, at this point.

That wasn't to say Dave didn't feel that way towards anyone else. Jade and John were of course his absolute best friends - John in particular, after his dad passed away and the two moved in together - and Dave knew that he would always feel a sense of pure loyalty to the two of them. Who wouldn't? The four had grown up beside one another. It was like they were all family in their own rights.

The Strider put down the horribly cheesy thoughts as he now shoved his phone back into his pocket, biting his lip and looking back to his apartment down the road. It would be a while until John was back, and he could just claim that he had walked down to the local park or something. Deciding this was probably the best thing he could muster himself up to fib, Dave casually made his way to the crosswalk and skated across it quickly, stalling only one car that let out an indignant honk as he waved his apologies to the driver. Once he was on the other side, he slowed down to a bit of a jog until he was in front of his building, using the key cupped in his pocket to open the door and return home.

* * *

By the time John got home, there was an obvious lack of mess to the apartment compared to when he had initially left. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered if Dave had invited Rose or Kanaya over, and the two girls had busied themselves by cleaning up their mess, but to his astonishment, John caught sight of Dave in the corner, packing away a few CDs into their rightful place.

"Wow." he breathed as he shut the door, causing the Strider to look up from his place on the ground. "All that's left now is the maid's outfit and you're set."

Dave rolled his eyes and threw a middle finger at his friend, who returned it with the wrinkling of his nose as he removed his shoes and walked into the apartment happily. "You're taking my cleaning skills for granted, John." the blonde chirped, turning back to his work. "Am I nothing but the woman of this household to you? Is my only use to cook, clean, and fuck?"

The Egbert reddened and narrowed his eyes at his roommate. "I'm not taking you for granted." he replied, turning to the kitchen. "Besides; you never cook. The most you can make is water, and that's if we have a tap."

Dave scoffed and leaned back. "I can make Kraft Dinner."

John laughed. "So can a baby, Dave. That doesn't make you Gordon Ramsey."

The Strider chuckled and slowly stood up from his place in front of the television, moving to the island and leaning across the cool counter, watching John as he moved around, readjusting some of the things Dave had shoved to the side in a desperate attempt to cleanse the kitchen.

"You look good from this angle." the Strider commented playfully when John ducked down to tuck in a few pots in the cupboards. Although the Egbert heard this, he didn't take it to heart. The two of them usually would sometimes comically flirt, if only to annoy Rose and Kanaya, who continued to insist they were both adamantly 'homosexual' for one another.

"You look like a dog from this angle." replied John, glancing back to his friend who looked momentarily alarmed.

"Since when were you the epicenter of sass?" Dave commented. "Who are you and what have you done with my ignorant, innocent roommate?"

John shrugged. "I talk to Jane a lot these days, I guess." he laughed a bit as he remembered some conversations he had shared with his sister. "She's pretty sarcastic when she wants to be."

Dave pretended to shudder. "She's teaching you her ways." he hissed, revolving on his heels and crossing back to the couch. John chuckled and shook his head as the other flopped onto the seat tiredly. "Make us some dinner tonight?" Dave opted hopefully.

The Egbert shook his head. "I did last night. We'll just have the leftover spaghetti." 

With these words, he ducked down to the fridge and opened it, reached for the cool bowl of pasta and pulling it out. He placed it on the counter before moving for the grated cheese, opening the plastic wrap that he had placed over the dinner and reaching up to put it in the microwave, where he heated it up for a few minutes. As he waited, he watched his roommate watch the television behind his shades contently. John wondered what could be going on in the Strider's head sometimes. He was more than just mysterious - usually Dave didn't even hint at emotion, if not for the occasional laugh or smile. But even those were rare, John thought quietly. Perhaps he was just incapable of human feelings.

Maybe he was a robot.

Before John could linger on this thought, the microwave was informing him of the finished food, and he was making his way back to it, unloading the spaghetti into two separate bowls before placing the plastic wrap back over the half-filled bowl and back into the fridge. With a sigh, John reached for the cutlery before finally allowing himself to be able to take both warm dishes to the couch, where Dave shuffled slightly to make room.

"What show are we watching?" John asked idly, leaning against the back of the couch as he adjusted his seat, before finding a comfortable place to the far left. 

"No idea." was Dave's response. "Something about the 1400s, I think."

"Ew." John screwed up his facial features, sticking his tongue out. "History sucks. Change the channel?"

Dave laughed. "But we're just getting to the good part. The narrator is about to tell us about the time the queen screwed some random ass knight."

The Egbert groaned. "Dave, I don't want to hear about historical teenaged romances!" he whined.

"Too bad, because this shit is gold. It's motherfucking precious to me. I live for it. How else would I be able to survive without the constant love-triangles of -"

"Eat your pasta and shut up." 

* * *

The documentary ended up to be about Marie Antoinette. Not that John cared - or at least, not that he would admit it - but it followed her through her life and told Dave and him about all the different affairs and scandals that she had been accused of during her reign as queen.

By the time it was over, John might have been a bit more than enraptured by the film. When the credits began rolling, his eyes were wide and his now empty spaghetti bowl lay forgotten on the table in front of him, his blue gaze wistful as he watched the names of those who had participated in making the masterpiece roll by.

"Well," Dave sighed, stretching a bit. "that sucked."

John tensed up at the words of his roommate, glancing over to him in awe. Had he even been watching the movie? Had he not seen the beautiful camera angles it had gotten of the palace, or the narrator's soothing voice choking with emotion as he told them of how Marie was separated from her children? John bristled, glaring at Dave.

"I agree." his voice was placid as he choked back his affection for the movie, hoping Dave didn't see the glint of horror in his eyes. "It was stupid, just like I said it would be."

There was a pause as the Strider looked at him. John hoped he couldn't read minds - oh God, what if he could read minds? - and kept his face stoic, pleading to anything that was holy in the world that Dave wouldn't notice how much he had loved the documentary.

Finally, the blonde shrugged and turned away. "I guess I should've listened to you." he said, a bit of amusement lacing his voice as he stood up and tossed the remote onto the couch behind him. "Next time I'll be sure to hang on the edge of my seat and pay rapt attention to you, sound fair?"

John sighed smoothly, offering a smile. "Sounds fair."

"Whelp," Dave said, turning towards the hall that led to both the boy's bedrooms. "I've got class tomorrow, so I should probably head to bed." 

John nodded. He knew Dave sometimes had to get up bright and early, given that the Strider attended two of the many classes offered at Seattle University. Photography and Music, the Egbert remembered. Dave was sometimes extremely busy.

"G'night." John replied, looking back to the television and briefly wondering if another Marie Antoinette documentary would play. "I think I'll stay out here and watch a movie or something." he lied. "I need to freshen up my taste after that terrible film."

Dave seemed to laugh a bit as he made his way towards the door to his bedroom. "Alright then. You have fun. See you tomorrow."

With this, the Strider disappeared and John was left in the living room alone, grabbing the remote and smiling as he looked at the channel schedule, pleased to find more on the elusive queen that he had grown to adore. About to skip to the next movie, John suddenly froze as he heard a loud crash and a yelp from Dave's room, and he tensed up, eyes widening.

There was a long silence in which the Egbert contemplated if his roommate was dead or not, before he called out.

"Dave?" he yelled. "You okay?"

There was a shout of 'jesus fucking christ', confirming to John that his friend was still breathing, before he stood up from his seat and jogged to Dave's room, pausing as he looked through the door and -

"J-John, call the police!" the Strider was on the floor, staring up at a silhouette. He cradled his leg like it was injured, and it took a moment for the Egbert to notice why. "Get help, do _something_!" Dave crawled back and John leaned against the wall in shock, hugging it protectively. "There's someone in my room!"


	2. Dead Men Tell No Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All she knew, though, was Dirk Strider was most definitely not dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is a co-written work by AO3 user Skys and tumblr user theravenhaven! Thanks to both of them for their hard work and dedication towards this project.
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask

It felt like his lungs were collapsing. His breathing was erratic, and his entire body was rigid. The man in front of Dave - tall and shadowed by the little light available in the the Strider's bedroom - was stumbling backwards, falling against Dave's computer desk and knocking down a few papers. Dave would've, on a normal occasion, scolded the other for having totally ruined his write up on the history of Photography in the 1900s for his class, but instead his brain was overwhelmed with the feeling of total fright, and his voice seemed to choke in his throat, dying before he could even yell out.

John, it seemed, wasn't taking this any better. From the doorway, the Strider heard a crash and a yelp from his roommate, but then the lights to Dave's bedrooms were being turned on, and the shadowy figure was now lit up.

The man was certainly intriguing to look at. His hair, tossed and a bit messy, was a light shade of blonde, and he wore particularly nerdy looking shades that would usually make Dave scoff in disapproval, had they not rung the most painful of familiar bells in his head. The stranger's shirt was a bit dirty, yes, but still noticeably orange, and his jeans were tattered and faded. He had simple converses on - messy, yes, with dirt and other questionable substances stuck to the sides - but Dave could only expect that would be the case, given that this man was dead.

Dirk Strider stood there, in full glory, just like the day he went missing. His face was flushed, his shoulders shook, and his mouth was stretched into a comical 'o' shape, but he was still most definitely Dave's long-dead brother, and that of course made things a bit complicated.

"I-It's - uh -" Dirk said, and as he did so, it sent a familiar ache into the bottom of Dave's chest. Grief. He had  _grieved_ for this man. He had placed roses on his grave and visited it every week for an entire year. He had set aside every picture that had this man in it, taking them out only when he saw it fit to cry. He had lost this man.

And now he had been found.

"Bro?" 

It wasn't a question, it was more of a statement, but the way Dave's voice broke in half as he said it, it may as well have been a whisper. Dirk visibly flinched and pressed himself closer to the desk, bringing the palms of his hands down and gripping the sides of the table protectively.

"No - no, I'm not - I am, but I -"

"Bro."

This time Dave returned the sentence by getting up off the floor, any sense of fright long gone and replaced with such a deep shock that it burned inside his gut and choked at his words.

"Davie," there it was; Bro's nickname and the only thing Dave had answered to until the age of four. "I..."

"What the Hell?" Dave was forcefully reminded of John's presence as the other fumbled against the door behind him. "D-Dirk?"

The older Strider didn't take his eyes off Dave as he responded. "H-Hey Johnny-boy." he said, his familiar accent low and terrifyingly comforting. "I... well, nice place you got here."

Dave was speechless, but John seemed to have everything in the world to say, and boy did he say them.

"You're dead!" was the first thing he spluttered. "Your grave - I mean, the police said - they - well, uh -"

"Clearly," Dirk began, lifting his head a bit to watch the Egbert calmly, all emotion having fled from his face and replaced with the old stoic features that Dave remembered. "the police aren't all that thorough when they declare someone dead."

If that wasn't enough for Dave, he didn't know what was. With a sigh, he was fumbling back against the wall, his eyes shrouding with tears and his heartbeat screaming in his ears.

"No." he shook his head weakly. "No..."

"Hey, Lil' man." Dirk seemed more confident now. "Miss me?"

* * *

Wow. John didn't know Dave could become speechless. He was unaware that it was even possible. But there the Strider stood, unable to even move himself, which - to be fair - was pretty much how the poor Egbert felt at the moment as well.

Bro - or Dirk, rather - was tattered. Battered and torn, but - for some odd reason - just as youthful looking as the day he went missing. His cheeks were a bit hollow, yes, and he looked half-dead (pun not intended), but he still was... Dirk. There was still that glimmer in his shades as he glanced from either of the two nineteen-year-olds, a bit of a smile plastered on his face against his obviously tense muscles.

"Fuck you."

Okay, that was unexpected. Dave seemed to have gathered himself, and was now standing beside John as if he were some sort of shield against the older Strider, his fists clenched so hard that they were quickly turning pale.

"Fuck you." he repeated. "This is not fucking funny."

Oh. So Dave thought this was a joke. John bit his lip. It was probable, yes - a horrible joke derived from one of their friend's sick senses of humor - but why? Who's idea was it to dress up as Dave's three-year-dead brother and put on a show for them?

"Dave, I -" Dirk began, but the younger Strider - no, the  _only_ Strider - interrupted him before he could start.

"No. I said 'fuck you, this isn't fucking funny'. You know what that cue means? Cut this shit out. Take off the fucking mask. Do  _whatever_ , just -"

"It's not a joke, I'm really -"

"Shut the  _hell up_!"

This time there was anger - such pure anger in Dave's voice that John flinched away in surprise, and even the Bro look-a-like seemed absolutely terrified as the Strider slammed a sudden fist against the wall. 

" _Shut the hell up and cut the fucking act._ "

Everything - grief, anger, shock, and disgust - it all flowed out of Dave, casting a shadow in the room that couldn't be seen, but it felt like a thousand anvils that were weighed on the other's backs as Dave took a step forwards.

"Davie, I swear to G -" the Bro flinched a bit. "I swear, it's not a joke - please, I -"

"Call the police."

It was an order. It was an order, but it was silent, and John probably wouldn't have followed in on any other day due to the tone in Dave's voice when he said it, but now? John felt himself go into automatic, and suddenly he was barely thinking as he turned away and headed down the hall.

"No! Don't - John, come back, I -" Dirk seemed desperate now, his voice cracking as he pleaded against the yells of Dave.

"You shut the fuck up!" Dave howled, pained and injured in ways that made John wonder if they could be mended. "You shut up and stay the Hell still, or I swear to fucking Christ I will kill you!"

There wasn't even a warning. John was _so close_ to the phone, he would've reached out and touched it. _Would've_ , if only he hadn't been  _flung against the wall_. His back arched in pain as suddenly his entire figure defied gravity and hit against the living room, dropping against the floor like a rag doll with a sickening thud. John cried out - yes, like a girl, but that was totally acceptable in this situation - and felt himself fall limp on the ground. His brain told him to get up - get up and phone the police, get help! - but he couldn't. He couldn't move. He couldn't see.

He couldn't even breath.

* * *

Dave was terrified. His mind was crying and sobbing, but his chest and heart were filled to the brim with such a fiery rage that he wondered if he'd ever even physically be able to feel happy or content again. It was so strong - this feeling was so strong, that he was scared. Not for himself.  _Of_ himself. He was terrified, yes, to the core. What would he do? What  _could_ he do?

The words 'kill you' slipped out so easily. It was like second-nature to him; it just happened, and suddenly he had just threatened someone's life. And worst of all, it felt  _good_. It felt relieving to have just told this stranger - this man and this monster - that he would kill him. That he would stop him from ever breathing again.

But all thoughts - even those of death and pure hatred - were suddenly brushed aside like dust on a shelf as a suddenly thud and the girliest but most terrified scream echoed through the apartment, followed by a thud and silence.

"John." Dave Strider breathed, his voice filled to the brim with icy fright. His mind went from shock - boiling anger and pure, distraught fury - to cold, mindless worry, and suddenly he was leaving the man dressed as Dirk and rushing down the hallway.

John was lying on the ground. His arm was twisted a bit in a way that made Dave cringe, and blood was trickling down his forehead. His eyes were closed. That was scary. Dave knew that when people's eyes were closed, he wasn't dealing with just a little bruise. This had to be bad. It had to be terrible. John was probably dead - he'd never speak to John again, he'd never hear his laugh or see his smile again, because he was dead and there was no bringing him back from that and -

The Dirk look-a-like brushed past Dave now, and for the first time the Strider was able to properly move. Bro knelt down in front of John, murmuring words that Dave didn't hear and didn't bother to understand as the Strider ducked down on the Egbert's other side, breath shaky.

"What the hell happened?" he whispered. It was a rhetorical question - of course the stranger in front of him wouldn't know, he hadn't seen it - but Dave was filled with another wave of surprise when Dirk answered immediately, seemingly able to pick an answer right from thin air.

"He tripped." Bro's voice was calm. "He tripped, hit his head against the wall, and fell to the floor. He's not dead, by the way." now Dirk was looking at Dave, a bit of a smile on his face even though the other had just gotten over a bout of rage that was totally fueled by the stranger's appearance in Dave's bedroom. 

Oh, yeah.

The Strider forgot about that.

"Who the fuck are you, by the way?" Dave hissed over John's body. "Tell me and maybe I won't throw you out the window."

The man scoffed. "Dirk Strider." was his answer, which made Dave's  blood boil until it ran cold again as the Bro continued. "Born December 3rd, 1990. Died June 4th, 2012. Or at least," the other looked up, catching Dave's eye with an eerily content grin. "that's according to police records."

* * *

The sky was a bright blue. It reminded the girl of the summer - of beautiful days and even prettier nights, when the stars shone and twinkled against the dark indigo of space.

Jade loved space. She always had. If she had a choice, she probably would've been an astrologist. Or maybe a veterinarian. She could've handle that, yeah. As long as all the animals acted as loving and adorable as Bec, she could've easily brought herself to save them all!

But, as mentioned before, she had never really had much of a choice. She had been raised into this life. Born as a child and grown by countless mentors into the person she was today. She sighed and watched the houses and buildings move by quickly through the car window, eyeing her surroundings quietly. 

"When will we get there?" she asked suddenly, keeping her nose close to the glass.

Jake looked over to her from behind the wheel of the van. His dark green eyes twinkled from behind his large glasses and he flashed her his familiar buck-toothed smile. "Soon, love." he replied swiftly. "It should only be a few more hours."

Jade groaned at her brother, displeased by the time he opted it would take to arrive in their old hometown and leaned against her car-seat, looking up at the ceiling of their large van angrily. There was silence - the only thing heard was the sound of Bec from the backseat, his breathing shallow as he snored quietly. The dog always slept in the car. Jade thought it was adorable.

"You're impatient." Jake pointed out thoughtfully as he watched the road in front of them. Jade laughed, blowing a bit of her black hair out of the way from her mouth and she answered.

"I feel like I haven't seen any of them in ages, Jakie." she sighed. "I just hope they'll be happy to see me."

Jake frowned. "Why wouldn't they be? You're their childhood friend. I'm sure they'll go barmy when they see you've returned!"

"Oh, really?" Jade scoffed. "Then what's this I got from Dave this morning, huh?" she scooped her phone out of her pocket, turning it on and moving to her messages, clicking the voice-mail she had gotten from her 'good friend Dave' earlier in the day and letting it play for Jake.

" _Jade._ " Dave's voice began roughly. " _It's Dave._ " there was an audible pause in which Jake raised an eyebrow, about to speak until the Strider's angry tone continued. " _What the hell, man? You can't just phone up John bright and early after not talking to us for weeks, and then expect to get off by just askin' how we are. Talk to us! Seriously, we're your best friends, Harley. Act like it!_ "

Jake was silent as Dave finished the message, frowning quietly. 

"So," he began slowly. "I'm guessing that checking in on the Egbert-Strider household at five today  _wasn't_ the best plan?"

Jade groaned. "Obviously not! Ugh, boys are so stupid!" she bit her lip, looking over to her brother apologetically. "No offence."

Jake chuckled. "None taken." he replied quickly. "I mean, I would agree! Some men certainly have their Bits n' Bobs in a ruddy toss, don't they?" 

"Whatever that means, yeah." the girl laughed a bit. "Guys are just so confusing."

"Well," Jake began leisurely. "I'm sure you'll sort out the Strider-situation just fine when we arrive! He'll certainly be surprised to see you, that's for sure!"

"Surprised, obviously." began the Harley slowly. "But happy? I don't know. He just seemed so angry."

The English waved a hand happily. "Not a problem! Just throw a bit of the ol' family charm on him, and he'll be the one apologizing before long!"

Jade choked a bit. "Jake? Are you implying I  _date_ Dave?"

"Uh..." the boy chewed his lip quietly. "No. I'd say not. Striders aren't always that - well, uh..."

There was another long silence, but this one lasted, and Jade started to turn away back to the window. Of course. Why had she been so stupid? Jake had been with Dirk - a Strider, if there ever was one - for over a year, tops. They had really liked one another, Jade remembered, until that night. The Harley could never get it out of Jake, but something happened the night Dirk went missing. Something that brought a haunted look to the English's face when he remembered it, and something that scared Jade. 

All she knew, though, was Dirk Strider was most definitely not dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more information on this project, visit the notes at the beginning of the chapter!
> 
> Thanks to all the support we've already received in the comments! Your kudos/opinions are really appreciated, and are the inspiration behind our writing! Thank you. 
> 
> Feel free to ask questions in the comments below, or message us on tumblr at:  
> Sky: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com
> 
>  
> 
> For those wondering, Raven wrote this chapter. Sorry for it being shorter than the last! We hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.


	3. Bad Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave would always argue against the fact that zombies existed. But what, then, was his brother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is a co-written work by AO3 user Skys and tumblr user theravenhaven! Thanks to both of them for their hard work and dedication towards this project.
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask
> 
> A/N: For the sake of this story (and the two writer's sanity), everyone with a chat client in canon is going to use Pesterchum. Even the trolls.

It was dark. There wasn't much to be seen outside other than the dimly lit streets and the occasional person walking beneath the lights, illuminating their figures eerily as they passed. Dave watched them stroll by quietly. Each one - each human down there - had a story. They had a life; a normal, regular little life filled with normal worries and normal stresses.

He wondered if he ever looked like that. Normally frightened over his normal job, or normally happy with his normal friends.

Because if he had, he knew he would never do so again.

Dirk Strider - the real Dirk Strider, not some fucking joke - was sitting in the living room behind him, eyes cast down to the floor and silent. Dave watched him a bit from behind his shades. Although the younger Strider was out on the balcony, he could still observe how tense his sibling was through the glass, causing him to scowl. Dirk had never been like this before. He had never looked nervous - he had never chewed his lip anxiously or shuffled back and forth against the couch dismally, barely paying attention to anything other than his thumbs, which he fiddled with absently. Was he  still the same person? Dave briefly watched him from the outside porch, leaning back against the rail as he did so. Maybe dying and coming back to life had changed him. Who knew? Maybe the dude was still dead. Perhaps he was a ghost.

It felt weird to be considering these usually impossible things. If someone had come up to him the other day and mentioned that his long-deceased brother would hop back out of the grave, then he would've probably smacked them right in the face. But now? He felt like he could use someone. Something.  _Anything_. He just needed support - help, and a shoulder to lean on, however lame that sounded. 

John wouldn't oblige. Pardon me, I mean he  _couldn't_ oblige. The poor kid had apparently knocked himself out by tripping over his own two feet somehow, and was now resting in his own room. Dirk had insisted - prodded Dave for permission to help care for the Egbert - but who in their right mind would say yes to that?  _Oh sure, dead brother. Go ahead and attend to John's needs, alone, while I sit here and watch television. Of course. This makes sense! I'm sure you won't sink any of your zombie-teeth into his brains while I preview the season's finale to the Big Bang Theory!_

Dave shook his head away from these thoughts. Fuck, no. If there was one theory he would not accept, it was the zombie one. Dirk Strider wasn't a zombie. There was no fucking way. Dave swore to God and anything Holy that if his bro was some undead prick bent on eating brains, he would personally stab Dirk right in the fucking dick. He would do it. No hesitation. Nobody carrying the Strider name would ever be a stereotypical, brain-munching doofus. Not on his watch.

Dave's attention span - though short - was cut back from its usual timing when Dirk got up from his seat in the living room and looked over to him from behind his shitty anime shades. The younger Strider wondered briefly if his sibling's eyes were still orange. Did being dead change that at all? Maybe.

When Dirk walked forwards and pulled the glass doors to the balcony open, stepping out to join Dave, the man scoffed, turning away from his older brother now to instead look out at the city lights, red eyes glimmering in the subtle reflections.

"How long?" Dirk asked suddenly, surprising Dave a bit.

The smaller blonde refused to look at his brother. "How long what?"

"How long have you lived here?"

Dave bit his lip a bit in thought. "A year, tops. Maybe a year-and-a-half." he glowered. "Not that you would care, though. You probably can't even feel human emotions."

Dirk tensed, glancing at him. "What makes you say that?"

"If you could have feelings," Dave mused. "you would've visited me. Found me sooner. What the fuck stopped you?" his voice cracked a bit as he continued. "What the fuck? You weren't dead. Or maybe you were. Maybe you're a ghost." he stopped, wondering how crazy he sounded at the moment.

"A ghost." it was Dirk's turn to scoff. "Do I look like a white-ass poltergeist to you, Dave?"

"No." replied the other Strider swiftly. "But poltergeists and ghosts are two different things, aren't they?"

The taller man shrugged. "How would I know?" he replied. "I'm neither."

There was a brief silence as Dave took this in, mentally slapping himself in his own stupidity. 

"So what are you, then?" Dave whispered just above his breath. "What the Hell type of human being  _hides_  from their fucking  _brother_?" 

Dirk flinched, and for the first time in the night Dave saw regret - sadness and remorse - flash briefly over his face. 

"I'm sorry." Bro said shakily. "You don't understand, I... I did it for your safety, Davie... I..."

Something in Dave clicked. The scruffy appearance, the frightened flinches, and the quiet voice. The younger Strider hadn't even thought of it. It hadn't even crossed his mind. His entire brain had shut off the idea - shut down the thought. It repulsed him to even imagine it. Dave bit his lip and finally met his brother's eyes, emotion flooding his features.

"Did someone hurt you?"

It was a simple question. All it required was a nod, and that was all that Dave received as his older sibling looked away. 

It wasn't shock that ran through him. It was acceptance. Dave Strider had never imagined that someone could ever lay a hand on his Bro - but now? It felt like the cold, but honest truth. It was real. It was there. Hell, it was staring the poor kid right in the fucking face. Dirk Strider had been abused. Three years, and the older man had been keeping Dave safe. Finally things were clicking into place. His mind was clearing, and the shock was fading.

That gave way to a whole new feeling. Something that Dave hadn't even expected, but it hit him so fast, it was almost painful. Heavy, heartfelt relief scorched his chest and entered his lungs, and without a second thought the younger brother had his arms around his older sibling, bringing him down for a tight hug.

Dirk's body was surprisingly cold. His hands wrapped behind Dave's back in acceptance of the embrace, and his heavy breath tickled the other's shoulder. Everything about him was freezing. But, Dave reminded himself, that could be remedied. If he held onto Dirk long enough, his brother would become warm again. 

He could fix him.

Dave would fix Dirk.

* * *

By the time Jake and Jade arrived in Seattle, it was already too late to visit any of their friends. The night had already started and the moon shone quietly over their silhouettes as they parked their car and exited, heading to a large hotel that looked nice enough to reside in during their visit.

Jade took Bec, and the dog seemed overly pleased to finally be out of the dusty van and into the cool air. His white pelt shone in the street lamps and his dark eyes glinted as his tongue lolled out, breathing in the fresh smells eagerly as his tail wagged. He didn't need a leash. Trotting after the two siblings, Bec seemed quite content trailing by them, his ears perked and his nose high in the air.

Jake wondered for a moment if the hotel would allow Bec in. He was a big dog - possibly part German Shepherd, they had mused in the past - and his legs were dangly and awkward. He was a cute dog in general. Jake and Jade loved him - how could they not? His smile was permanent against his bright teeth, and his eyes were always bright with the promise of love and affection. 

He was family.

When Jake and Jade entered the small hotel, they were pleased to find a cheerful looking man managing the front desk, his bright eyes widening in joy at the sight of Bec.

"Welcome!" his voice was ecstatic even though it was probably eleven or so at night. "How can I help you folks?"

Jade cast a look at Jake, who approached the desk.

"We'd like a room, please." he ordered professionally. He had done this a million times. Always one room. Always two beds. 

"Two beds -?" began the joyful receptionist, who quieted with Jade's nod of approval. He smiled and glanced at his computer quietly, narrowing his eyes as tapped away at his keyboard noisily. "And how long will you be staying?" he asked kindly, causing Jake to frown a bit.

"Uh..." he began quietly, biting his lip. "How about we go for four nights? Sound good?"

The cheerful man nodded, his bright smile widening as he entered this into the computer before ducking down and returning with a silvery key. 

"Here you go!" he smiled. "Hope you enjoy your stay! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!" he turned to Bec and winked, causing the pooch to wag his tail happily under the attention until the man disappeared into a room. Jake smiled over to Jade, who yawned in response, before the three of them all began making their way to their rooms for the night, excitedly anticipating their friend's reactions come the next day.

* * *

\-- timaeustestified [TT]  began pestering timaeustestified [TT] at 23:49 -- 

TT: Real smooth.  
TT: Fuck. Not now. Go away, I'm busy.  
TT: Are you kidding me?  
TT: That's a rhetorical question, by the way. I already know the answer. There is a high estimated chance (79.6%, to be exact) that you are not kidding me, and are actually totally serious about the notion of ignoring my pestering.  
TT: Could you kindly fuck off for a moment? I'm kind of in the middle of a bro-to-bro chat with my sibling after only about three fucking years of silence.  
TT: I think you need my help, Dirk.  
TT: Nope. I really doubt that.  
TT: I know you do. Your intellect is failing you right now, though, so your opinion doesn't matter.  
TT: Gee, thanks.   
TT: Not a problem.  
TT: Now, let's get down to business.  
TT: What the Hell are you doing?  
TT: Talking to Dave.  
TT: No. You're lying to Dave.  
TT: Yeah. You're right. Congratulations, you have identified that I'm lying. I hope you're happy. Now can you leave?  
TT: No, Dirk. This is an issue.  
TT: Why are you lying?  
TT: I think you know why.  
TT: Tell me.  
TT: What?   
TT: Tell me why you are lying, Dirk.  
TT: Wow. You really are an asshole.  
TT: You realize that's kind of a sensitive topic, right?  
TT: No, I don't. I'm a machine. I cannot feel human emotion, and therefore cannot grasp it.  
TT: I am literally your fucking shades.  
TT: Great. Good for you. Now leave me in peace so I can talk to my brother.  
TT: Our brother. I'm still you, Dirk.  
TT: Dude, you just said it yourself. You're a fucking machine. You don't have brothers. You have programs. Programs and codes. That's your family.  
TT: If I had feelings they would be hurt right now.  
TT: I don't care. You're a dick, and I'm pretty sure that's all there is to it.  
TT: Now leave me the fuck alone before I block you.  
TT: That is an empty threat. I can easily unblock myself.  
TT: Then I'll shut you down.  
TT: You'll turn me back on eventually.  
TT: How can you be sure about that?  
TT: I'm you, Dirk.  
TT: It's one of the perks.  
TT: ...  
TT: Fine.  
TT: What do you want?  
TT: Tell me why you're lying.  
TT: Alright. If I do that, you'll leave me alone, right?  
TT: For as long as I see fit, yes. I will leave you in peace to commune with your blood-sibling.  
TT: Right, okay. Whatever.  
TT: To sum it up, I'm lying because I'm a freak.  
TT: I'm a freak and Dave can never know that.  
TT: So you let him believe that you've been being abused for the past three years?  
TT: He's going to have questions.  
TT: Questions you won't be able to answer.  
TT: I know, I know. I'll just play it innocent until then, okay?  
TT: What do you mean?  
TT: You know how when victims of abuse get back and don't want to talk about what they went through? If I can convince him that the topic is too 'triggering' or whatever, he'll lay off for a while, right?  
TT: ...  
TT: Yes, this is possible.  
TT: But my files read that he will most likely contact the authorities and try to get them involved in trying to hunt down the person who "hurt" you.  
TT: I won't let him.  
TT: I'll tell him if the police find out about me being alive that someone will come looking for me. For us.  
TT: That's a good plan. But, Dirk, Dave is smarter than that. He will still contact the police, if only behind your back.  
TT: Then...  
TT: Then I'll tell him we won't be the only ones to get hurt. John. He'd get hurt too.  
TT: You're willing to exploit Dave's loyalty to his friends for the betterment of his judgement towards you?  
TT: If it means he doesn't figure out what I am, then yeah. I'll exploit the fucking planet before that happens.  
TT: Very well.  
TT: My readings say that I can't stop you, but I will still warn you.  
TT: This plan will eventually fail. You will either have to run again, or let your friends and family face the truth about what you have become. Do you understand, Dirk?  
TT: You cannot hide forever.  
TT: I know.  
TT: And I don't plan to.

* * *

It was day. By the time John's eyes opened drowsily, sun was streaming through his window and the world was already alive with life. The Egbert felt heavy - weighed down by his own thoughts that trained through his mind powerfully. What had happened? His head stung - a burning feeling in the back of his brain that stayed put, unmoving and unyielding. Had he hit his head? Yeah. He remembered that. He had hit his head and passed out and - where was he?

His bed. John was in his bed. Dave had carried him there - dropped him against the floor once or twice, apologizing profusely - and laid him to rest in the sheets, claiming that the Egbert needed to sleep. And sleep he had. On and off he had woken through the night, his headache screaming and his brain pounding, until now. He was awake now. He could move his arms and fingers. He could push himself up. And he did.

There were voices coming from the living room. John noticed he was still in his jeans and shirt from the day before, but didn't bother changing. Dave had probably just invited Karkat or Rose over for a drink. John was okay if they saw him groggy and messy.

Shuffling out of his room, John kept himself propped up against the wall, his blue eyes sunken as he blinked, entering the living room awkwardly and looking up to Dave, who sat at the couch, his eyes trained on the Egbert.

"Mornin', sleeping beauty." Dave smiled a bit. "Did your prince finally makeout with you? I've been wondering how long it'd take for you to get up." he smirked. "You know, you owe me some sort of thanks. I saved your ass last night. You were lying on the ground in your own blood. It was like a fucking death scene. I thought you were a goner."

John groaned. "Fuck off, Dave. You dropped me on the floor last night when you tried to get me to bed. I owe you no thanks whatsoever."

There was a scoffing noise from the kitchen. "Is that how you treat your knight in shining pajamas?" a strangely familiar Texan accent prompted. "You'd think you'd be a bit more thankful to poor ol' Davie."

When John turned, he convinced himself it was a trick of the eye that he saw Dirk Strider leaning against their counter, a newspaper folded in his hand and a smile on his face. It had to be an  illusion. Maybe he was dreaming. Perhaps he was hallucinating. Hitting your head did that to you, right? You hallucinated?

This theory was thrown out the window when Dave laughed from the couch. "Yes, poor old me." the younger Strider replied. "I had to haul John Egbert's skinny ass to bed."

John wondered if maybe he had gone insane. "Dirk -?" he was stuttering, trying to pick apart the memories that clouded his brain heavily. "You - I -"

Dave sighed. "You don't remember?" he asked idly. "Then again, maybe that's for the best. You seemed pretty freaked out."

Dirk glanced over to his brother as he approached John. "I'm alive." he said softly, offering a gentle smile as the Egbert watched him with wide eyes, unsure now how to take this information. For some strange reason, his body was relaxed - it was as if he knew Dirk was alive, and it came as no surprise. Perhaps Dave was telling the truth. Maybe he had forgotten something - maybe it had slipped his mind that Dirk had returned - perhaps he -

John sucked in a breath as he suddenly caught hold of an image in his mind. Dave standing in front of him protectively. Dirk leaning against a table, frightened. Then John was making his way towards the phone. He was reaching towards it slowly - slowly getting closer - but then he wasn't even on the ground, and his entire body was throwing itself against the wall. He was collapsing, his head screaming out in protest - and then -

He was back in the living room, mouth agape in surprise at the memory. He had flown. He had soared across the room - buckled against the wall. How? How had he done that? Was he magic? Or - wait, perhaps he was just imagining it. He couldn't have. It wasn't possible. No way.

Dirk was silent in front of him, and Dave was fidgeting quietly from the couch. Both their eyes were trained on him, and John was weighed with their expectation. They both thought he would freak out. Scream, cry, thrash around in shock and probably even feint. But he was okay. He was surprisingly okay.

"Anyone want some coffee?" he chirped suddenly, moving swiftly over to the kitchen. His headache was present, still, but with the weight of the memories lifted off his shoulders, he seemed a bit more calm. Dave choked a bit from the couch and stood up, passing Dirk as he leaned over the island of the counter, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

"Dirk is alive -" he began. "and your only response is offering us  _coffee_?"

John shrugged, taking a bit of the brew and moving towards the machine. "Yeah. Is that so bad?"

Dave was silent and Dirk was laughing, and for a moment John could've closed his eyes and brought himself back to High school, when he would've walked back to Dave's place with the Strider and laughed with the two brothers. They had grown up together. They had shared one another's sorrows and their joys. They were more than friends, John realized. These two were family.

"What happened to coffee making you more thirsty?" Dave pointed out as John poured the now heated water into the mix. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." the Egbert laughed a bit. "Where did you get that information from, Dave? Wikipedia?"

The Strider laughed in disbelief. "You fucking dork." he chuckled. "How dare you play me like that?"

John hummed. "I can play anyone any way I want to." he replied smoothly, nodding to the cups. "Pass those?"

Dirk moved first, grabbing three of the cups on the counter and offering them delicately to John. The Egbert grabbed them, placing them in front of him, a bit surprised by how careful Dirk seemed to be acting. It was as if the older Strider thought he would break either of the two younger boys. Quite unsure how to respond to this, John opted to ignore it and instead went for the coffee, pouring three cups and handing two to Dirk, who then proceeded to gift one to Dave.

"Pass the cream?" Dave asked, allowing John a moment until the Egbert was handing him said drink. When the three of them were finally done making their warm beverages, they headed to the living room, where John opted to sit on the large chair and give the smaller, two-person couch to the Striders, who didn't complain as they took their places next to one another comfortably. 

John wondered if things had already been discussed without him. Like, for instance, where had Dirk gone? Where had he been? What had happened? His mind reeled with questions, but everything was silent. Dave seemed content. Perhaps he had gotten answers from the older blonde. If so, would John ever know? The Egbert wondered if he'd be left out in the dark. What if the brothers just ignored him? Was that something they usually did? He forgot. It had been too long since they had been together. It was almost alien to John to even imagine it happening, but there they were, sitting knee-to-knee as they watched the television.

John wanted to know. He really, truly did. But how did someone even approach the subject? 

_H_ _ey, Dirk, just wondering, but where the fuck were you for three years?_

_Yo, Dirk, are you by any chance an undead zombie that crawled his way out of the grave?_

_Excuse me, Mr. Strider, but what the fuck are you?_

John cringed. None of these seemed like the absolute best decision, but before the Egbert could even speak, Dave was suddenly standing up, stretching and offering a weak smile at the two men.

'Well," Dave began. "I have class today." he cast a glance between John and Dirk, who were both watching him intently. "So, uh..." he dropped his gaze. "I guess I should go."

Dirk shrugged. "Alright, Lil' man." he offered a bit of a weak smile, leaning back against the couch idly. "It's cool if I stay here?"

Dave looked over to John, who nodded as he too stood and gathered the now empty coffee cups, walking back to the kitchen and allowing the brothers the brief privacy. 

"Yeah," Dave started up. "You stay here. Don't leave either, okay?" his voice dropped into a whisper, and John watched as Dirk's eyes stretched, nodding to the younger Strider's words until the blonde photographer was gathering his things. 

"See you later." John spoke, casting his friend a glance. 

"Bye, nerd." Dave replied affectionately, before disappearing towards the door. Without another word there was a click, and his friend was gone in less than ten minutes, silence reigning the apartment.

Fuck.

What the fuck was John supposed to do now?

Dirk didn't seem to mind the silence. He returned to the television, eyeing it slowly. The Egbert guessed he could return to his own room. Maybe he would go on the computer and check to see if his friends were online. Or, John watched the older Strider carefully, he would spend time with this guy. Break the ice. Get to know him all over again. Could he do that? Could he bring himself to treat this childhood friend like a stranger? John didn't even know if Dirk was mentally stable. What if the dude was crazy? Fuck. This was so much for the poor, blue-eyed little Egbert to handle. _What was he supposed to do?_

Dirk seemed to know the answer. The older man glanced over to John, who was standing awkwardly in the kitchen watching the blonde, raising an eyebrow. "You gonna' join me? Or are you just gonna' stand there thinkin' for the rest of the morning?"

This allowed John to move. He made his way over to Dirk's side on the two-person couch, now able to place himself where he usually was when Dave was with him. This could be easy. This _was_ easy. The show Dirk was watching was one of John's favorites - they laughed at the same time, referenced their favorite parts, and it wasn't long before the two were generally at ease.

Yes, John thought to himself quietly. This could work.

* * *

Bec sat on the carpet, watching his people with loving eyes. They were speaking in low tones to one another - obviously interested in their own conversation, but when Bec moved up from the floor of their hotel room and dropped his head in Jade's lap for attention, she was quickly lacing her fingers through his fur, still enraptured by the talk Jake and her seemed to be having.

"If we call Rose first," Jake was saying. "we'd have a much more sensible time getting her to understand the situation, don't you think?"

Jade bit her lip, a bit of worry coursing over her face. Bec nudged her leg, hoping this might help. "If we called John," Jade replied slowly. "then he'd get it right away too. He's patient, and he's family."

"He also only has three rooms." Jake pointed out. "How would you expect us to share a bedroom for the entirety of our visit, hm?"

Bec glanced over to Jade, who sighed. "True. But Rose isn't that much better. She only has three bedrooms, and one is an office. We'd have to decide who slept on the floor vs. the bed."

"You could have it." Jake shrugged. "I'm used to the floor anyway."

Jade seemed adamant, and Bec only wished he knew what they were saying. "But," she persuaded. "if we just roomed with John, we wouldn't  _have_ to decide."

Jake narrowed his eyes. "We're going to ask Rose if we can room with her for the entirety of our visit, and that's final. She might not even say yes, who knows?"

The Harley seemed so frustrated that she stamped her foot, causing Bec to whine and move his head away for a moment. She paused, glancing at him and patting the side of his head reassuringly, before glaring back to her brother. 

"At least let me call John first." she said in finality.

Jake was quiet, and Bec wondered if they were debating what type of treat to feed him, until the English replied.

"Fine." his voice was cold. "But if he passes the word on to everyone that we're back, you're taking the ruddy blame, got that?"

Jade nodded firmly, and Bec relaxed as he realized she was finally happy again. "Deal!" she said loudly, swinging her legs over Bec's head and suddenly digging her hand into her pocket, retrieving the funny machine that Bec saw her talk into sometimes. "I'll call his home phone, okay?" she chirped, and Jake nodded. "Who knows?" she smiled. "Maybe Dave'll pick up!" Bec watched as she looked down at the little machine again. He knew it was called a phone, but he didn't really like it. Why talk to a machine when you could talk to a dog? Jade pressed a few funnily colored buttons and then brought it to her ear, waiting for the phone to respond somehow. Bec wondered if maybe she was going to talk to the phone about food. He could use some food. Food was good.

There was a clicking sound from the machine and Bec raised his ears to hear what the phone said, surprised by the unsual voice that answered.

" _Hello?_ " the phone began in a deeper, Texan accent. A Texan accent Bec hadn't heard in a long time.

Three years, to be exact.

Before Bec could even react, Jade was tense with shock, and he didn't know what to do. Had the phone said something wrong? She seemed unable to move, and for such a long time there was silence, other than the phone's continuous words of 'anybody there' and 'hello'.

Finally, Jade flung the little phone over to Jake, who caught it in surprise, frowning at his sister. Bec watched intently. Maybe the phone was bad. Maybe it was a bad dog.

Jake brought the phone up to his own ear and spoke slowly. "Hello? John?" he approached. "Are you alright? Anyone there?"

The Texan phone paused. " _Fuck._ " it finally murmured. " _You've got to be fucking kidding me._ " _  
_

Jake's eyes flung open, and Bec finally understood what was going on when the English breathed out shakily.

Dirk Strider had answered the phone.

Dirk Strider was the bad dog.


	4. Send Me a Kiss By Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad dogs were put down. That was the rule. Bec knew this. But he didn't understand what to do when Jake was the bad dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTICE: We are so sorry for the lack of updates throughout the past week or so! Sky's computer completely wiped out and we had no access to the saved files and had to rewrite a lot of it! We promise to update once a day again! The computer is now fixed up and ready for proper use. Please enjoy this chapter! We're ever so sorry!
> 
> This work is a co-written work by AO3 user Skys and tumblr user theravenhaven! Thanks to both of them for their hard work and dedication towards this project.
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask

It was a fact of life that John Egbert was totally fucking addicted to anything Nic Cage. His acting, his career, and every character he ever played was perfect in the black haired boy's mind. He loved the man. Cage was his role model. There was no doubt about it.

So, when it turned out that Dirk was too tired to object against it, the Egbert slipped in one of his favorite Nic flicks and started enjoyably watching, blue eyes glinting. Holy fuck, he loved this. He could do this forever.

It didn't stir the boy when the phone rang loudly to Bro's side. Dirk glanced over to him, raising an eyebrow when John shook his head, and sighed, picking up the receiver himself and bringing it to his ear.

"Hello?" Dirk began, his Texan accent loud against the volume of the movie. John barely paid attention to the Strider, assuming the caller was probably just one of his coworkers or friends.

"Hello?" Dirk repeated, frowning a bit. "Anybody there? Hello?"

John cast a bit of a glance to Dave's older brother, feeling a bit of worry drip down from his head and into his chest as the phone was silent. Dirk caught his eye and gave him a look that probably meant 'what the fuck do I do now', until finally there was an answer.

" _Hello?_ " John tensed as a familiar English accent spoke up loudly on the phone, and he was quick to pause the television as it continued. " _John? Are you alright? Anyone there?_ "

Jake English sounded concerned. His voice was painfully loud against the silence of the room, and Dirk seemed to be contemplating whether or not to throw the phone against the wall or wail like a child.

"Fuck." he finally breathed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Now it was Jake's turn to fall silent. John listened harder, wondering if the English was talking without him being able to hear, but things seemed to be pretty quiet, up until Dirk spoke up again.

"Jake." the word was surprisingly terse, as if Dirk had just uttered a swear word. Gritting his teeth, the Strider continued. "Sup?"

* * *

Jake felt himself fall. Not literally. But, mentally, he was dropping. Dropping and crashing down through so many walls of uncomfortable feelings that he wondered if he'd ever get back up. Would he forever be stoic? Would Dirk's voice forever leave him like a statue, unable to move or even feel for the rest of time?

When the English finally found words, he wondered if maybe Dirk had hung up on him. But the dial tone was not there, and he could still hear the shaky breaths of his ex-boyfriend through the receiver, both calming Jake down and riling him up even more.

"How."

It wasn't a question. Jake didn't think there was an answer. It was just a word - it meant something; that he was confused, shocked, and amazed - but he knew Dirk would understand. The two had been synced together like twins. Dirk would get it.

And he did. The Strider sighed again, and Jake could almost feel his tired aura sink into him. Yes. Dirk was tired. So, very tired. And, Jake pointed out to himself, it made sense. Who wouldn't be tired? Who wouldn't be tired after three years of Hell? Literally, maybe. Who knew where Dirk had been? Certainly not Jake. He hadn't contacted the English, and although the poor man had tried, Jake had never found even a trace of Dirk's whereabouts. Until now. Until Jade had phoned John. Until Dirk had answered.

" _It's a bit complicated._ " Dirk seethed. Green eyes flashing, Jake recognized the anger in the other boy's voice. Yeah. Dirk was angry. He had a right mind to be, too. Three years could do that to a person.

But was Dirk even a person now?

"I have time." Jake said shakily. "Explain."

There was an immediate scoff. " _Explain? Why don't you explain, English? Tell me why. Why?_ "

Jake flinched. "I - I didn't..."

Dirk was quick to the chase. " _Exactly._ " he snapped. " _You didn't._ "

Bec was worried. That much was clear. The dog's head bobbed back and forth as he watched both Jade and Jake through pin-black eyes, his ears subtly pressed back. Biting his lip, Jake tried to calm his own emotions for the sake of his own sanity, but felt them bubble over as a result. Talking to Dirk was like going back in time. It was dangerous and life-threatening, but addicting and thrilling nevertheless.

Jake was torn in two.

"Strider..." he began awkwardly, wondering how to approach this. Jade glanced over to him with an apologetic look, but he waved her away and turned to the wall, sighing breathlessly. "I can't explain."

Dirk seemed to bristle like an annoyed cat at this, huffing indignantly. " _Well then you better not think you'll be talking to me again any time soon. Have fun with your fucking life. Hope you get a new trophy to hang on your wall soon. Meanwhile? I'll suffer. Don't worry about it. It's not like it's your fucking fault or anything._ "

Jake bit his lip. "Can anyone else hear this?" his voice lowered a bit, and Jade took this as a cue to get up from her place on her bed and make her way out the door. Jake watched quietly as his sister left. He could've used her support, but knew it was best that she went. She wasn't ready to hear this. Jake even debated if _he_ was ready.

" _Yeah._ " suddenly Dirk was softer in his tone, and there was some shuffling on the other end as he moved. " _John can hear us._ "

Jake sucked in a breath, wondering what the Egbert could be thinking. But then he buckled over a bit, suddenly unable to compute anything properly. John. Oh God, no. John. John was with Dirk. Dirk was with John. No. No, no, no. No, no, no -

" _He's safe_ _, by the way_." Dirk seemed to be able to read Jake's thoughts, and there was more moving on the other end of the line. " _I'm a monster, but I'm not that bad._ "

Jake breathed heavily. "You've left the room, I'm guessing?"

" _Yeah._ " Dirk's voice was unamused and still full of powerful fury that Jake hadn't ever encountered in all his days with the Strider. " _You know I wouldn't hurt John, right?_ "

"No." Jake admitted honestly. "I don't know."

" _Well, news flash: I might be a freak, but I'm still human._ " Dirk spat, his voice low. " _No thanks to you._ "

Jake furrowed his eyebrows together, blinking and staring at the wall. "I'm sorry."

Even though the words were said, Jake knew they wouldn't mean anything to the Strider. Nothing meant anything to Dirk anymore. And, Jake grimaced in his own thoughts, it was his fault. It was the English's fucking fault, and Dirk was just the victim that had received the short end of the straw.

" _Thanks, Jake._ " Dirk spoke sharply. " _But, you see, it's too late for apologies now. It's too late for anything._ "

The English buried himself in his own guilt. "I know." his voice was high as he held back the emotions threatening to flood through him. "I know, and I can't say anything but I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Dirk. So, so sorry."

There was a long silence over the other end that Jake relished in - wrapping himself around the comfort of quietness - until the dial tone cut through his thoughts, and suddenly Jake couldn't hold it in. A pitiful sob wracked through his body, and Jake let the phone fall to his side, bringing his knees up to his chest and feeling the unfamiliar warmth of wet, runny tears scorch his cool cheeks. 

Dirk had hung up.

Jake was alone.

* * *

Rose knew, from people's words in the past, that she wasn't exactly the best person to socialize with. She was familiar with this fact, and therefore she usually kept to herself, aside from the occasional forced introduction that would happen out of her will. Other than those times, though, she saw herself as a complete and utter introvert. Dedicated to her title, and loyal to it's definition through-and-through. She just didn't like socialization. That was that.

So when her band practice ended up having to be moved to the music room - where none other than her own step-brother resided - she was less than pleased. She didn't want to talk to him. At least, she mused, not during school. She had outlived those days. High school had been the time for the two to bond. Now they got to have their own time alone, without one another's constant shadow hanging over the other.

But there Dave was, his maracas that he ironically took to class dangling from his grip, a bit of a smile turned up on his features as Rose forced herself to sit beside him, allowing them the temporary silence until she found it fit to speak up.

"My class was moved here because the Drama students needed the gym." she saw it fit to point out, biting her lip anxiously. Although the two siblings took different music classes, they still studied the same basic curricular, making it always a dangerous possibility that they would have to share classrooms once or twice throughout the year.

"I'm not complaining." Dave seemed thoroughly amused by the way Rose was tensed up. "Why would I object to having my adorable little sister join me during class?"

Rose scoffed. "I am hardly little, and if you would like me to, I will gladly prove to you how unadorable I am through a series of well-crafted and inescapable strifes."

Dave smirked. "Bring it on, sis. You won't be able to contain me for long. Striders are like fucking springs. We jump back at the most unexpected times, scare the shit out of you, and then bend back down for another round."

Rose listened intently, before finding it hard to not laugh. "Phrasing, Dave." she pointed out. "I seriously doubt you're one to _bend back down for another round_ , unless you and John have finally embraced intimacy into your relationship."

Dave was now red as a tomato, and Rose found herself very pleased with this. "Jesus fuck, seriously, Rose? What the fuck? Even I didn't think of it like that. You've been watching too much tentacle porn lately. John and I aren't banging each other's gongs or whatever you call it. We're very proudly keeping our gongs to ourselves, thank you very much. My gong is hidden safely where the sun don't shine, and that means no Egberts allowed."

Rose cooed. "It's adorable that you consider John your sun, Dave."

The Strider groaned. "Will the pain of having a younger sibling never relent?"

"I doubt it." Rose pointed out happily. "But you would be heartbroken, Dave, if I ever stopped pestering you."

"Would I?" Dave scoffed. "I don't feel like it. I think I'd throw a party. I'd invite everyone. The entirety of fucking Seattle would come. We'd all dance and sing, and you'd just stay home. No little sisters allowed. Only Dave. Dave and the whole population of Seattle, aside from you."

Rose smirked. "I love it when we bond."

Dave offered a smile back. "Me too." he paused, looking down at his desk for a moment before gathering his thoughts. "You wanna' come back to my place after class?" he asked suddenly, taking Rose a bit off guard.

"Oh." she mused for a moment. "Well, I mean..." Would Kanaya be okay with it? Rose would obviously have to text her girlfriend the details on her sudden disappearance, or perhaps... "Could Kanaya join us by any chance?" she offered. 

Dave went over this for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Sure. Text her or something. We'll take the bus, so we'll probably be back at around one or something. Just in time for lunch."

Rose nodded. "Alright, then." she paused. "What's with the sudden invitation, if you don't mind me asking?"

Dave smiled - a genuine smile, and it reminded Rose of when they were children - before looking over to her quietly. 

"Oh, nothing." he said smoothly. "Just a bit of a surprise."

* * *

Bec was loyal. He followed Jade happily as she led him down the stairs of the hotel, ears perked as he listened for a sign of a command. But there was none. Jade was silent - unusually so - and it worried Bec. Had he done something wrong? Or, perhaps, she was thinking. She was probably thinking. Yes. She was probably thinking about what treat to feed him, because he was such a good dog.

A good dog, unlike Dirk.

Bec briefly wondered what Dirk had done. Every time that the boy had visited Bec, he had been nice. He had petted Bec behind the ears - right where he liked to be petted - and even let Bec lick his face. Most people didn't like that. Most people pulled away, made a face, and stopped petting Bec. But not Dirk. Dirk was nice.

So when Jake and Jade had gotten angry - sad, and distraught - at the sound of Dirk's voice, Bec wondered if perhaps he had missed something. Dirk _had_ been away for a long time. Who knew? Maybe he had been a bad dog in that period of time. Maybe he had done bad dog things.

Bec had learned, throughout time, what 'bad dog things' were. Bad dog things were hurting other people. Bad dog things were attacking Jake or Jade. Bad dog things were meant to be handled by him, the good dog.

When a bad dog came anywhere near him, Bec would handle it. Usually 'handling' meant 'biting', but sometimes Jade would have Bec stand above a bad dog and growl, keeping the bad dog huddled over the ground as Jade spoke weird words that made the bad dog howl. Usually the bad dog was a human, too. Bec would wonder why Jake and Jade did this - why they bothered getting rid of all the bad dogs they encountered - but they seemed to enjoy it, and so he allowed himself to do the same after time.

That was their job. Bec, Jake, and Jade would travel the world and get rid of all the bad dogs. There were some, Bec remembered, that he couldn't touch. Some that he tried to sink his fangs into, but found himself unable to. His teeth just sliced through thin air. Jade called them 'ghosts', and Bec didn't like them. They were really bad dogs. Really bad dogs, and only his people could handle them.

Other bad dogs were his specialty. There was one group of them - Jake named them 'werewolves' - that Bec would be able to talk to. Or not really talk, he mused, but understand. Some of them were just lonely. Others - the ones he didn't like - were just bloodthirsty. Those were the ones he bit. Bec bit them, and then they would say sorry. That was how it always worked.

By the time Bec had been biting bad dogs for a while, Jake and Jade started calling themselves 'hunters', which Bec liked. He liked it when they met other hunters, and he liked it when they talked in low voices and the other hunters would pet him. Hunters were nice. They were good dogs.

Well, most of them were. After a while, something seemed to start plaguing Jake. Bec wondered for a little bit if it was because Dirk was gone, but it wasn't remorse or grief that Jake was feeling. It was guilt. He was guilty, and Bec didn't know why. Had he done a bad dog thing? Every time this thought crossed his mind, Bec would whimper. He was supposed to fight bad dogs. If Jake was one, what was he supposed to do?

Jade seemed oblivious to this. Once the three of them started hunting together, she was very happy, and so Bec would spend most of his time with her. She would feed him little treats under the table sometimes, and at night she would let him cuddle up next to her and breath in her content emotions. Bec loved her. She was a very, very good dog. She would never be naughty.

But Jake was still a problem. Sometimes he would do things without Jade - he would talk to a phone, and the phone would talk back, and the entire time Jake would keep looking around to see if Jade was nearby. Was Jake doing a secret? Bec knew about those. Secrets were bad, he knew, because they came in the way of family. Family before secrets. Always that.

So when Jake would hang up the phone and spend hours looking over notes and books with that ominous emotion of guilt hanging over his shoulder, Bec would watch him. He would watch him, and make sure nothing bad happened, because if Jake did a bad dog thing, he would do what he always did.

Bec would handle it.

* * *

\-- tipsyGnostalgic [TG]  began pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG] at 17:01 -- 

TG: yo babe  
TG: janey you there?  
TG: jaaannneeeyyyy  
TG: i need ur assistance  
TG: lmao  
TG: ASSistance  
TG: like a butt  
GG: Oh my gosh.   
TG: omfg lol  
TG: hey there janey!!  
GG: Hello, Roxy.  
GG: You need my... er... help?   
TG: lol yeh i need ur assistance  
TG: wonk wonk  
GG: Please tell me what it is I can... aid you with.   
TG: idk how to work the message thingie  
GG: Excuse me? I don't know you're talking about!   
TG: ya know  
TG: the message thingie  
TG: on the home phone doohickey  
GG: Oh! That's what you meant!   
GG: I think it's just called an answering machine.  
TG: oh lmao  
TG: idc  
TG: just tell me how to work it please lol  
GG: Well, what are you trying to do?  
GG: Listen to a message? Record something?  
TG: i wanna play the messages we have  
TG: weve ignored like a totes huge amount of phone calls so i bet there are thousands of hot babes that left a few messages for us  
TG: wonky wonk  
GG: I doubt it, but you might as well check.  
GG: Click the blue button to the left. It's pretty big, you shouldn't miss it! :B   
TG: kk  
TG: ok its workin now  
TG: lmao i love how im a computer programmer but idk how to work a fuckin phone  
TG: who let me start coding like srsly lol  
GG: Don't put yourself down about it! You're quite talented with a keyboard!   
GG: Everything just requires a bit of practice, that's all!   
TG: :o  
GG: Trust me, it may seem hopeless now, but things will get better!!   
TG: janey  
GG: Even when people leave you alone and don't even say GOODBYE!!!   
GG: You can live without them!!!! You're better than that!!! You don't need them!!  
TG: jaannneyyy  
GG: So what if they clearly don't care about you??? So WHAT if you loved them????? You're okay!!!! Don't worry about it!!!!!!  
TG: JANE  
GG: Uh... yes, Roxy?   
TG: first off  
TG: holy fuck thats a lot of fuckin pent up aggression there babe  
TG: where the hell did you pull THAT from?   
GG: Oh... I'm sorry...  
GG: It's just...   
TG: this is about that fine english muffin aint it?  
GG: Uh, excuse me?  
TG: youre still wound up bout jakey runnin off  
TG: its cool, dont worry bout it  
TG: i get it  
TG: but hes not gone forever, janey  
TG: he will totes come back to you  
TG: after all, hes your best friend next to yours truly!  
GG: Yeah...   
GG: Best friends...  
GG: I just...   
GG: Is it bad that I sometimes wish we were... more?   
TG: nah babe  
TG: its natural  
TG: you see some hot ass you wanna tap and you fuckin go ape shit  
GG: Oh my gosh, Roxy!  
TG: what?  
TG: its the truth!!  
TG: i speak no lies or whatever that dude sittin on the big ass rock chair said  
TG: wasnt his name einstein? or frankenstein?  
TG: somethin stein  
GG: Abraham Lincoln?  
TG: sure lets go with that  
GG: Well, I'm still plagued by the guilt of me liking Jake that way.  
GG: I mean, he CLEARLY doesn't like me back!  
TG: yah but its ok that ur into him  
TG: just one little suggestion  
TG: dont try to get into his pants just yet  
GG: What? What do you mean?   
TG: dont go bangin his gong  
TG: for a while, at least  
TG: the dude is still gettin over  
TG: yknow  
TG: dirk  
GG: Oh...   
GG: Gosh, now I feel terrible!   
GG: How could I even think that way about him when he's clearly still... uggghhhh...  
TG: yah  
TG: but lets not talk about di-stri right now  
TG: good news!!  
GG: What? What is it?   
TG: speak of the devil; jake called!  
GG: Wait, he did? What did he say?? Did he want to talk to me? Or us?   
TG: lmao of course he wanted to talk to us  
TG: why else would he call lol  
GG: Gee I don't know! What'd he say??  
TG: well i mean he already called us a little while ago at bitch-ass oclock in the mornin  
TG: he just wanted to know how many rooms we had i thinkk  
TG: idk i already forget the message he left lol  
TG: im not replayin it either bc workin the answering doohickey is hard af  
TG: lol  
TG: "hard af"  
TG: lmao that sounds p sexual omfg  
GG: So... he just wanted to know how many rooms we have?   
TG: yuppers  
TG: kinda rude  
TG: it sounded like he was interested in a one night stand lol  
GG: Perhaps we should call him back later...  
TG: nah  
TG: he can phone us again if its important  
GG: Are you sure, Roxy? It would be more respectful of us if we called him back. I could do it right now! I'm on my cell!  
TG: listen bae  
TG: you do whatevs, k?  
TG: ima go back to my programming rn bc i am bored af!!  
TG: thx for the help with the message thingie  
GG: *Answering machine.  
TG: yeh wutevs lol  
TG: love you bb!!   
GG: Bye, Roxy.   
GG: Don't overwork yourself!   
TG: yeah yeah ok  
TG: just get ur ass back from class soon k?  
TG: im in the mood for burgers and i want my roomie to join me ;)  
GG: Very well. Bye! :B  
TG: peace out yo

\-- tipsyGnostalgic [TG]  ceased pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG] at 17:46 --

* * *

Dirk wouldn't describe his feeling as anger.

It was more like hollow disappointment.

Perhaps he had been expecting more. Perhaps somewhere in his sick and twisted mind, he had wanted Jake to return and offer whatever was left of him to Dirk. To cherish and grieve for Dirk. To hold and love and cry for Dirk. 

Perhaps he had wanted more.

Instead, Dirk sat in the empty room that Dave had lent him. He wasn't crying. He wouldn't cry. Not over Jake. He wouldn't allow himself to feel any sort of remorse for the English. He was just disappointed. Disappointed and hollow. 

John would be worried about him. When Jake had called, the Egbert had looked almost pained. Maybe he knew something. Maybe Jake had trusted him more than he had trusted Dirk. Maybe the English had told the other what he had never shared with his own love. 

The thought brought a sweep of emotion into Dirk's gut, and with all the strength he could muster, he bit his lip as hard as could, trying to take away the emotional pain and replace it with physical. The hurt was distant. After the night Jake had betrayed Dirk those three years ago, the Strider had never properly been able to feel. He had been punched once or twice. Stabbed more than he could count. But there he stood, his body in tact and poisoned blood still running through his veins. He didn't even think it counted as blood. It was a toxin. An acid.

Jake had never shared with Dirk anything about his life. The Strider had never questioned much of it - he had just loved unconditionally and hoped he would receive the same for his efforts. But, the man gritted his teeth at the memory, he had been wrong. There was no such thing as unconditional love. Not when it wasn't reciprocated, at least.

Jake had lied to him. He had said he was a normal guy - that he had a normal life. Dirk had believed him without effort. It was so easy to fall in love with someone like that. Someone who claimed you were their life. Someone who said you would live 'happily ever after'. 

Maybe Dirk had just been too much of a girl at the time. He had been too eager for absolute and total love. Being gay was hard, though, and finding people who swung that way was harder. So when the opportunity arose - when it swept out of the waters and struck Dirk in the face - he was more than happy to sweep Jake off his feet and cherish each other. It would've been perfect. It would've been legendary.

If Jake had told him what he really was.

A Hunter, Dirk had learned over time, was someone who tracked down and pretty much demolished the supernatural. Paranormal or whatever you wanted to call it - it was toast the moment a Hunter laid eyes on it. Now, of course, had you told Dirk of this four or so years ago, he would've laughed in your face and asked what you were smoking. But now that his heart wasn't functioning, but he still stood, alive as ever? You could say he had become a bit more than accepting of the topic. 

When Dirk had asked around - spoken of Jake's name in hushed whispers with his fellow _monsters_ \- he had been almost immediately shunned. Some thought he was undercover. Others thought he was insane. Either way, he had learned to keep quiet about the apparently very famous Hunter, and had instead forced himself to drink in the silence and bask in his anger.

Yes, for the first year of his new life, he had been mad. No - he had been drowned. Drowned in the sheer swelling of his new powers and his new needs. It made sense, he mused now, that all that had cursed his mind was the thought of revenge. The thought of sinking a dull blade into Jake English's heart, just so that he could relish in the way the blood only slowly pulsed up to the wound, dripping down and bathing the Strider in the -

Dirk let his jaw relax, dropping his now swollen and bleeding lip from his teeth. There was still barely any pain, but it took his mind off of his thoughts. Dirk wouldn't let himself do that. As he had said before, he was a monster, but he was still human. He wouldn't fall prey to his own mind.

Lifting back the curtains of his eyelids, Dirk looked around the room. The bed he sat on wasn't exactly the best, but - with a grimace, Dirk reminded himself - it was all that his brother could offer. He knew life must've been hard for Dave after he had left. Dirk had never made much money, and had always refused any donations that his friends had tried to gift him over the years. But, Dirk relented quietly, Dave had done well for himself. John was a good kid, and if there was anyone Dirk would've suggested his little brother lean on, it was him. Things were going well. Three years, and Dave was already on his feet.

Except for now, Dirk pointed out to himself. Now that he was back, things would go to Hell again. Dave was already skeptical about things. Although John might've been oblivious, a Strider never forgets. Dave was closed down - he was adamant and wary. Dirk knew. Even the older Strider's fucking _AI unit_ knew. Things would go to shit quickly, and Dirk would have to leave again.

So what the Hell was he doing? Why was he still there? Was it the food? To be honest, John's cooking was pretty good. But Dirk knew he never really required that kind of sustenance. Perhaps it was the liquor. Dave had offered him some after their brief feelings jam. It was okay. It burnt his throat in a numbing and warm way that he had nearly forgotten. But no. Alcohol wasn't his reason for staying.

It was something far more addicting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the song we reference in the title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edcqAQmaAFU
> 
> We wrote the scene with Jake and Dirk talking over the phone and couldn't stop thinking about that cartoon. This is yet another example of our depleting sanity.
> 
> Also, this chapter was mainly written by Sky, so huge thanks to him for the serious dedication he put into this! We've got a few new short term co-writers who help edit and are even doing small character sketches for us! So thanks to the following people for helping get this project up and running again:
> 
> Noah  
> Jake  
> Wolf  
> Austry  
> Gavin
> 
> You're all amazing and we love you so much!  
> Extra thank-yous go out to the awesome support we've been receiving over tumblr and in the comments! You are all wonderful people and we adore you! If you want to ask us any questions anonymously, go ahead and visit the links below! If not, go ahead and comment instead! We love hearing your guy's opinions and ideas! It makes this entire thing so much more rewarding for the great people behind this work!
> 
> To ask an anonymous question, visit either of these two links:  
> To ask Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask  
> To ask Sky: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.co/ask
> 
> Thank you!  
> \- The Team


	5. Clockwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you were to hold a gun up to his head, Dave Strider would have to admit that on some occasions he could be a pretty great brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by Raven and Jake English's dialogue was scripted by Austry! Thanks to them for their wonderful teamwork.
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys, Red, or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: whyskyer.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask  
> Red: redrendition.tumblr.com/ask

Jade wasn't much of a Starbucks kind of girl. Usually, in situations like this, she found herself going out to the bar or even ringing up one of her fellow Hunters. But now? She knew she wouldn't do her brother any good drunk. And calling up a Hunter when her possibly undead best friend's brother was on the phone didn't sound like the best of options either. So, she grimaced as she made her way over to the mildly populated coffee shop, she had no choice. Going for a nice warm beverage  _did_ sound nice, anyway. 

When she entered the Starbucks, her hands were filed in her pockets and Bec's face was pretty much pressed against the store window. Although he wasn't allowed in, he would of course watched closely. Jade smiled to herself as she approached the woman tending the cash register. Bec was her best friend. If there was one thing she knew she would never have to question, it was his loyalty. The two were like twins. They were so in sync.

They were like how Jake and Jade had been when they were children.

Nudging this nostalgic thought away, Jade approached the girl and quietly ordered the simplest coffee she could find on the menu, before paying with cash and disappearing to the corner of the room. Her eyes trailed over the people. Most of them, unsurprisingly, were engulfed in their electronics. Some had phones. Others had laptops. Either way, she caught the eye of nobody other than her dog, who wagged his tail at the contact and made her smile widen over her buckteeth until her name was called out.

When she returned to the hotel about fifteen or so minutes later, most of her coffee was gone and Bec's tongue was lolling out of his mouth as he happily panted, making their way up the stairs and back to their room. Jake would surely be done by then. It had been thirty minutes or more since she had left him alone, and the two siblings weren't used to that. Jade bit her lip anxiously as she removed the key from her pocket, though, and wondered if perhaps Jake  _wasn't_ done. What if he was having an argument? Or in the middle of an apology? What would he even be apologizing  _for_? Jade hadn't heard much about Dirk over the last three years - had Jake done something? It was all a blur as curiosity flooded her system and broke down her anxieties, causing her to swing the door open and walk in. Bec suddenly lurched forwards into the room, nearly flying over to Jake and pressing his muzzle to the boy's leg, who -

Was crying over the phone. Jake, eyes red and face flushed, was practically sobbing on the bed, shaking involuntarily. Her brother - her sibling, and her best friend - sat there, violent tremors of sadness wracking his body as he stared at the silent machine, tears streaming down his face and over his lips, which were split apart in a silent wail.

How long had he been like this?

Jade, unable to control herself, pretty much kicked the door closed and swung her body onto Jake from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. In all her years, Jade Harley had barely ever seen Jake English cry. There had been a few times - when their Grandparents had passed away, when he had discovered he was adopted, and when Dirk had disappeared. But none, not any of those instances, had been like this. Every emotion that Jade could think of flowed through Jake - rage, guilt, sorrow, and pity fueled his sobs as he turned around and hugged her back, bringing the two of them together and sinking away.

But the silence didn't last long.

When Jake pulled away, he looked so empty that Jade wondered if perhaps he was a Shapeshifter of some sort. She hadn't dealt with those before, but had heard of them. Either way, she could hardly believe the look of absolute hopelessness on her brother's face, and therefore she moved back against the bed until she was nearly falling off, her eyes stretched wide and her mouth gaped a bit as she watched Jake quietly. The English looked tired - as if he had aged twenty years in the past thirty minutes - and his lip shook as he finally spoke up, voice cracking and shaky.

"I..." he trailed off, choking at his words as he watched Jade quietly. "have made a-a... terrible mistake."

Now, if you were to tell Jade that her own brother was a bad Hunter, she would've most definitively smacked you in the face and taken you to a mental clinic to check out what brain disease you might have. She stood by this decision. This was why, now of all times, the Harley found her actually chuckling a bit. It was a small giggle, but Jake obviously heard it, and it looked like he had no idea what to say when Jade finally quieted down.

"I-I'm sorry -" she offered a bit of a smile. "But Jake? You're my brother. You can't make mistakes." her grin widened as Bec licked at Jake's hand. "No matter what happened, I will always love you."

For a moment, Jade was forced to remind herself that this wasn't a book. Of course she would always love Jake. What was this, an intervention? It didn't have to be said that she would always be there for her brother. Since when had her life turned into a cheesy movie, anyway? Before she could think - could say something to redeem herself - Jake was talking again, and she was immediately hushed by the tone in his voice.

"I made," he began harshly, voice shaky and low. "a mistake."

It was final. It was a statement. There were no loopholes, and the way Jake's eyes gleamed as he looked at Jade made it very clear to the younger sister that there was no consolation available for the English. Biting her lip, Jade looked down the covers of the bed and gripped them tightly as she watched her dog sit, ears back and eyes pointedly staring at Jake. What was Bec thinking? The dog's focus was entirely on her brother, and his mouth hung open just a bit, revealing his sharp teeth.

What was her family doing?

By the time her thoughts had gathered, Jake was placing the phone in it's rightful spot by the bed, eyes cast down and mouth pursed. His face was red, and his eyes were clouded with tears still threatening to fall. Jade wondered if there was anything she could say. She didn't even know what had happened. A bout of surprisingly strong anger bit at her heart as she watched her brother make his way back to his bed, sitting down at wiping at his cheeks. This man hadn't told her anything. For three years she had sat in silence, hoping and  _dreaming_ that one day she would discover what happened all those years ago. What had Jake done? What had  _Dirk_ done? _  
_

Why had Jake taken them back to Seattle?

* * *

If you were to hold a gun up to his head, Dave Strider would have to admit that on some occasions he could be a pretty great brother.

Now was one of those times.

Rose sat beside him on the bus, watching her phone quietly as they made their way back to his apartment. Of course, Dave remembered, she had been confused when he had asked her to visit. The two of them barely even spoke at school, and if it weren't for the constant chats over Pesterchum, the Strider would be willing to admit that the two step-siblings were barely ever in proper contact. 

Of course, though, it hadn't always been that way.

Three years ago, the two of them had been insufferably close. They had called and texted one another on a daily basis, if only to see how the other was doing. But after Dirk's disappearance, things began to slip, and before Dave knew it everything in his life was turned upside-down. The girl who had once been his sister was now the woman who was too busy for his antics. 

The guy who had once been his dead brother was now alive and breathing in his living room.

Dave's stomach still churned at the thought. It was hard to believe, and grasping the actual idea of having Bro back was absolutely terrifying, but at the same time, a deep and immense euphoria stirred in his head, unyielding and unimaginably inspiring as he sat beside his step-sister, eyes gleaming behind his shades.

Rose would be surprised.

That was the idea, after all. Surprise both Dirk and Rose with a sudden reunion. At first, Dave had wondered if the older Strider would be up to it. After all, technically Dave still didn't know what he had been through. But, he had reasoned, having the equivalent of a snooty therapist in the loop would probably be proven to be their best bet to eventual recovery, so Dave had pretty much leaped at the idea of inviting the Lalonde over.

By the time the bus had slowed at his stop, Rose had finished texting Kanaya. It would be awkward, of course, for the fashion-prone woman. After all, she barely knew Dirk. She had basically only lived off of stories and pictures. To her, he was dead.

To everyone, he was dead.

Dave was only just having second thoughts about his decision when Rose led the way to the elevator, pressing his floor number wordlessly and stepping aside to allow Dave to fit in. It was a quiet ride, and the Strider basked in it, letting himself slip into that euphoric feeling all over again, until the short ring signaled the end of the silence and the opening of the large, metal doors.

When they got to his apartment number, Dave was a bit shaky. He wouldn't admit it, but he was losing some of his cool as he fumbled with the keys. Rose noticed, like always. But luckily, she didn't say anything, to the complete surprise of the Strider. Perhaps she had eaten something weird for breakfast that had put her in a good mood. Maybe she had food poisoning.

When they got inside, there was absolutely no surprise in Dave as they caught John leaning back against the couch and staring at what Dave could only assume was the television as he slipped out of his shoes. But, as the Strider shuffled forwards, he was utterly shocked to find one of the Egbert's favorite Nicolas Cage movies paused, and John staring off into space, apparently lost in thought.

It took the voice of Rose to finally snap John out of it.

The Egbert reddened and turned around at the unfamiliar sound of his childhood friend, mouth agape in a comical 'o' shape. He hadn't seen Rose in a while, although they chatted over the phone sometimes. She hadn't changed much. She still had short blonde hair, violet-blue eyes, and stood - stiff and tall as ever.

There was a momentary silence until John found his words.

"Rose?" he swallowed audibly. "Wh-What're you doing here?"

His thoughts race a mile-a-minute in his head. What about Dirk? What if Rose fainted at the sight of him? What if Rose got _mad_ at the sight of him? Like Dave, she had been quite close to Bro. And so John was worried that perhaps, like Dave, she would flip out. If there was one thing that could throw Rose Lalonde off, it was the notion of reanimating the dead. 

Everything was flushed away when Rose finally replied with a simple "Dave invited me".

John breathed out a long sigh. Of course. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation. John cast an angry glare at his best friend, who seemed to have busied himself by looking at his shoes. Of fucking course Dave would do that. Why not? Why not practically force your elder brother into what would obviously be an extremely awkward situation? Why fucking not? Grimacing, John grabbed the remote and shut off his movie, vowing to return to it later before turning to Rose.

About to tell her that she had to leave, the Egbert paused as his old friend looked at him through skeptical eyes. If John told her to go, what would she think? That they weren't friends anymore? That he didn't like her? The two were extremely close; John would even go as far as to say the two were like siblings.

So when Rose gave that incredibly expecting look, the Egbert felt his world crumble around him, and instead of the kind denial of entrance to their home, he actually went as far as to lean forwards and wrap his arms around her, bringing the two in for a hug.

"Hey Rose." he greeted her, reluctance fading. "Welcome back."

* * *

Fuck everything. Fuck that, fuck this, and most especially: fuck Jake English.

Dirk stared at the ceiling. His mind turned like barely functioning gears in his head, a burning rage shadowing most of his thoughts. Why? Why the fuck did this have to happen? The poor Strider had only ever wanted to see his little brother again - ruffle Dave's hair like when they were kids, tease him when he couldn't reach the cereal, and joke with him when all irony was forgotten and replaced with... love? Yeah. Dirk adored Dave. Perhaps after those three long years, he had lost sight of that. It would make sense. For so long he had been consumed with anger, then hopelessness, then depression - he had spiraled downwards and never bothered to look back. And now? Everything was falling into place again. It was like clockwork.

So why the fuck did Jake have to get involved?

Dirk mumbled under his breath, breathing shallowly. After the English had called John and Dave, the eldest Strider had retreated to the room the two boys had lent him, which was, in all honesty, not really a room. It was more like an office with a large mattress splayed out over the wood floor. But that didn't matter. Dirk felt a hollow sigh brush through his lungs as he reminded himself this was probably the classiest place he had lived in in years. It was pathetic, but true. The wooden floors were polished, the walls weren't a grimy yellow, and the blankets were clean. To Dirk, it was like Heaven on Earth.

 _Or_ , he thought to himself, _more appropriately; Hell_.

Brushing away these thoughts, Dirk dropped back against the blankets beneath him and enjoyed the comfortable sensation. The fabric that was splayed beneath him smelled deeply of Dave, but also faintly of John, and of course the traditional annoying scent of laundry detergent that smudged out the rest of the smells. But, most importantly, it had the aroma of home. Dirk brushed his hands over the textile of the blanket, feeling every wrinkle in the sheets with his rough hands. He let his fingertips play with certain loose strings and fiddle with other crinkles. This blanket had been used. It had been worn out and loved. It  _meant_ something to someone, and here Dirk was lying on top of it.

The blankets at his motel rooms weren't  _loved._  They were abused and torn - sometimes, to the Strider's disgust, he could even smell the fading must of the person who had used them last still clinging onto the material. But, looking back at it, he had no room to complain. Places like that had been the most he could afford. To Dirk, they had been five star suits. 

The Strider could remember times when he had returned to his rooms alone. Usually a beer bottle or any other sort of alcoholic beverage accompanied him as he would flop down onto the shitty mattresses, drinking away his anger and sorrow until all that was left was a shell. A shell of his former self. It was fucking cheesy as shit, but it was also pathetically true, because by the end of the second year of his disappearance, Dirk Strider had turned into nothing more than a waste of space.

So, looking around the room, how had he gotten here? How had he found his way out of his slump and returned to civilization?

And, more importantly, how had he let Jake ruin it all again?

Dirk breathed heavily, lifting himself back into a sitting position and blinking tiredly. He was suddenly exhausted. Perhaps caring did that to you. He wouldn't know; he hadn't cared about anything in years. So why did he have to now? The one time it fucking mattered, Dirk Strider was giving all his energy to Jake fucking English instead of ignoring the prick and moving on with his life. Why? What had possessed him to do that?

Everything short-circuited in his mind when voiced enacted from the apartment. At first Dirk assumed John had unpaused his movie, but he recognized the Egbert's voice instead, and glanced over to his closed bedroom door in interest, wondering if Dave had returned.

"Rose?" it was a mumble through the thin walls, but Dirk still heard it, and his mind started up again at the name. "Wh-What're you doing here?"

Oh, fuck.

"Dave invited me."

Dirk's love aside, he wanted to strangle his little brother.

There was a pregnant pause until John finally spoke up. "Hey Rose." his voice was muffled. "Welcome back."

Rose's voice was equally muffled as she replied, and Dirk expected that the two were hugging. "Thank you." her tone was less terse. "I've missed talking with you."

"Yeah." John spoke clearly now. The hug was over. "It's been a few weeks since we last saw each other, right?"

"I think so. It was at Jane's place, right Dave?"

"What?" Dirk recognized his little brother's flustered tone, even though he expected nobody else would. "Who's place? Jane's? Yeah. We were there."

"Something occupying your thoughts?" Rose was suspicious.

"No. Well, actually yeah." Dave's voice got closer. "I think I've got to take a piss. Just... be right back. Enjoy your platonic flirting while I rid my bladder of it's toxins. Peace."

It was then that the door to Dirk's room opened slightly and a very unsteady Dave slipped in, a strangled grimace on his face as he slammed the entrance shut behind him. Dirk took in this sight carefully, wondering what to make of his little brother, before turning away and glancing back to the floor, hidden of any emotions whatsoever.

"Didn't I teach you to knock?" Bro produced.

Dave paused. "You didn't even fucking teach me how to  _walk_ , you dick. Had to learn that shit myself." his voice was quiet, as if he were trying to keep their conversation some sort of secret.

"No need to whisper, Dave." Dirk snarled. "You kind of fucking brought this on yourself."

"What do you mean?" the younger Strider offered airily. "I just -"

"Just invited someone over. To your place. With me here." Dirk's breath was shortening, and he felt his anger coming up to a simmer as he continued. "Did you not think how fucking stupid that decision was? Or did you just figure it'd be cool for all of us to hang out? Four best friends, chowing down on our enormous amount of bullshit. Sounds like a great evening plan to me. What did you have in mind for the after-party? Monopoly and a side of 'let's all fuck with Dirk'? Nice. I like it."

"Five." Dave replied with.

"Sorry?"

"Five best friends. Rose invited Kanaya over as well."

Dirk snapped his head up. "Oh, that's just great. Why not invite the _entirety of fucking Seattle_ next? I'm sure we'd _all_ like to chat with Dirk Strider after his three year disappearance that was undoubtedly mentally traumatizing to him!"

"Dude, you need help! I'm thinking about you here, not me -" Dave spat, but he wasn't quick enough, and Dirk was back at his neck in no time.

"I need help?" his voice raised an octave. "Oh, of course. Because _two gay librarians_ is _exactly_ what every mentally ill victim needs!"

"Jesus Christ - quiet down, you'll wake John's movie taste from the dead -"

"What can Rose offer me that a good bit of sleep and food cant?" 

"Rose is like some sort of therapist, dude. Don't you remember?" Dave lent back against the wall slowly. "And she's a close friend. I figured it might be helpful for you to branch out or something. I just want to  _help you_."

"Clearly." Dirk's reply was terse.

"Listen. Give her a chance. I -"

"I gave  _you_ a chance, Dave. Just fucking now. And guess what? You goddamn blew it." Bro clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. "Was it too much to fucking ask for me to pop in for a quick visit and be on my way? Seriously, dude, I -"

"You're leaving?"

There was a dramatic pause in which Dirk watched as a small chat client opened at the edge of his shades.

\-- timaeustestified [TT]  began pestering timaeustestified [TT] at 16:27 -- 

TT: Nice one.

Dirk scowled. 

"That's not what I meant, Dave."

And now it was his younger brother's turn to get angry. "Oh, really?" the shorter Strider scoffed, face flushing with a surprising amount of emotion. "Please, enlighten me then. How long is it that you plan to stick around? What are your ideas for the future, oh dearest sibling?"

TT: Tell him.

"As long as you'll have me, Lil' man... I'll stay." Bro said under his breath, trying to make eye contact with his brother through their shades.

TT: Liar.

Dave seemed to go over this in his head, and Dirk took the chance to try to shut down the chat. But as hard as he could without looking suspicious, his fucking clone wouldn't shut let go of the tight grip it had on the software, and so the Strider was forced to retreat back into the corners of his mind, hoping that maybe the AI wouldn't chase after him.

"You mean it?" Dave's voice was surprisingly quiet, and it took Dirk a moment to realize it was him who was talking.

"Of course." was his immediate response.

TT: I pity Dave for the deception you're feeding him, but more importantly I pity your mentality for when you have to leave your dear, beloved "Lil' man".  
TT: Leave.  
TT: Oh. The fabricator speaks.  
TT: Please. Go.  
TT: You're as bad as a perjurer at this point, Dirk.  
TT: I won't be taking any commands from you until you start thinking straight.  
TT: Leave me alone.  
TT: You're just making this entire ordeal much harder than it has to be.  
TT: Speaking of which, are you ever going to reply to Dave?  
TT: What?  
TT: He asked you if you wanted to stay in your room or meet Rose.  
TT: I'm sure you know what I would have you do. I'd be willing to bet that you'll make the right choice, Dirk.

Dirk breathed in, his mind a bit numb from exhaustion. He knew what his AI unit wanted him to do. And he could do it, too. Worst of all, it was a good choice. If he didn't go out to see Rose, there wouldn't be any possibility of any more emotional attachment than there already was, and his leaving would be all the more easier. But his clone was right with yet another thing as well.

He wasn't thinking straight.

"Fine. Let's go."

TT: You're an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ:  
> Hey there! Sorry for the lack of updates as of late. We've had quite a few troubles actually getting our computers to function and remedying some internet connection issues, but it seems we might have stabilized things for a while. To make up for it, this chapter is about 4000 words! In terms of updates, we're not quite positive how often we'll be able to update and can't set an exact date, so please stick with us! Once again; so sorry for the late update!! D:
> 
> We would also like to inform you that Skys has changed his tumblr url from 'littlehoneygemini' to 'whyskyler'. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, go ahead and message him or raven on their tumblrs!
> 
> We also have a brand new member to our team of main writers! His name is Red! He'll be answering any comments we get and replying to a majority of the asks on tumblr.  
> Red's tumblr: redrendition.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you again, and we're sorry for the delay on this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a co-written work by AO3 user Skys and tumblr user theravenhaven! Thanks to both of them for their hard work and dedication towards this project. 
> 
> To learn more about each character's roles in this AU, visit this link:  
> http://theravenhaven.tumblr.com/the-rememberance-project-characters
> 
> For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to message either Skys or Raven on tumblr at:  
> Skys: littlehoneygemini.tumblr.com/ask  
> Raven: theravenhaven.tumblr.com/ask


End file.
